It's Not That Easy
by hannah5240
Summary: Both Eddie and Rachel are left heartbroken by the remnants of their relationships. They are utterly in love with one another. Rachel however, is prepared to sacrifice her own feelings to make others happy - she has shut a door on their relationship. But quite often, when it comes to love, it's simply not that easy.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone - my inspiration for this fic came about whilst i was listening to one of my old favourite songs, 'its not that easy' by Lemar (hence the title!) Anyway, the song holds a lot of similarities with Eddie and Rachel's relationship so i kind of felt compelled to explore that. _

_As always, i will appreciate any support from you guys:) I really hope you enjoy this story;please let me know what you think x_

Rachel slammed her door shut, creating a ricochet of sounds as she collapsed her body against it. Despite being inside, she could sense the ominous clouds rolling in over the sky and imagined that the dark grey would engulf her. Strangely, the weather reflected the last few hours fabulously. All of a sudden, a deep sense of dread hit her. Dread for the rest of her life without Eddie, without their life together.

_How would she cope separated from him?_

She couldn't - as simple as that. A glimmer of hope coursed through her body, but it was soon discarded by a painful reminder of the reason why this outcome was inevitable.

Her sister was pregnant. And it wasn't just any old baby; it was Eddie's baby. _How could she fulfil her roles as both aunt and step mum? _She knew it wouldn't be fair on the poor child, not only that, it wouldn't be fair on Eddie. Frankly, Rachel couldn't quite bring herself to care about Melissa; not after her days worth of spite and selfishness.

Rachel allowed her own scream to engulf her. She wished it would drown out her thoughts and drown out her existence. She wasn't quite sure if her life would be worth living without Eddie.

….

The abundance of distressing thoughts swirling around in Rachel's brain were interrupted by a sharp knock. Was that her door? It definitely was, the sound had alarmed her, considering she was still heavily leaning into the oak frame. At first, she thought about ignoring the knock - she was hidden well enough. The persistence of it was the only thing that stopped her. This person obviously wanted to see her….

It couldn't be ….

A look of despair furrowed across Rachel's brow as the knock was heard for a fifth time. It sent an electrical impulse dancing along her spine, and caused her brain to throb at the whirlwind of possibilities. Why was this person being so incredibly impatient? Intending to uncover the truth, she interlocked her fingers with the door handle and almost winced as she pulled it towards her. She doubted that she was ready to discover who was waiting on the other side. Having said that; would she ever be? The mysterious figure suddenly became all too familiar. Nervously, she dared to bring her gaze up to meet his, and locked her eyes with a man she had expected to never see again. Eddie Lawson.

'Rachel,' he spoke her name like he had done so many times before. Now though, it was different - that one word held far more meaning now than it ever did before.

No matter how much she longed for his presence, the look of adoration mixed with sadness etched across his expression just made things ten times worse. He shouldn't have come. If Eddie had just stayed away, then she wouldn't have the option of changing her mind.

Rachel had to choose her head over her heart - be selfless, be a good sister, a decent person. She had a moral duty to put Eddie and his child first. It was the right thing to do; all of the logics were superior to her own feelings.

'Eddie I…' she was treading on ice here, Rachel wasn't quite sure how to play this one.

_Head over heart. _

_Be selfless. _

_Do the right thing. _

'What are you doing here?' The question she settled on came across far more spiteful than she intended. It was clear that her tone had been like a knife to the heart for Eddie.

He glanced down at the floor. Shame engulfed him. Shame and a deep sense of defeat. He had lost the love of his life. There was no going back from this. And the worst part, is that there's no one else to blame but himself.

'I just…' Eddie thought about lying for a split second. He nearly mumbled some utterances about picking up his stuff. But no, he wanted to be honest with her. She deserved that at least, 'I wanted to check how you were holding up,' as Eddie spoke he finally brought his gaze back up to meet hers. His heart shattered instantly. Rachel looked more broken than him. He had never seen her look so full of negative emotions.

It was all his fault. His wrong doing. Why did he ever go anywhere near Melissa? Rachel's sister.

Rachel twiddled her necklace around aimlessly; something that she had become accustomed to doing in situations like the one she found herself in now. She tried to conceal her emotions, conceal her hurt. The tears though, they were unstoppable. Her eyes were full to the brim, until all of a sudden the salty drops began to fall in any which way possible. They cascaded furiously down her red cheeks and cleansed her body of any chance for a future with her and Eddie. This had to end now.

'Eddie I'm sorry… I can't do this, you have to go,' she wasn't quite sure how she managed to speak that sentence without utterly breaking down, it had to be said though. This man was the love of her life, no doubt about it, but Rachel knew what she had to do next. Be a decent person. A good sister. Ironically, the opposite of what Melissa had been.

Rachel placed a light hand on Eddie's chest for the last time and savoured his warmth; before gently pushing him out of the door, out of her life.

'Rachel please don't, I meant what I said,'

_You're my first priority._

His pleading words were useless, it was too late. Rachel had closed the door on their relationship and their love. All he knew was that it wouldn't be that easy for him. She would forever be his first priority and the love of his life. _What was he going to do without her love? _


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed the first chapter. First of all a massive thank you to Mrs Carmichael, faeftvanity, RachelMasonFan39 and Lynny for your wonderful reviews. I also just wanted to say thank you to faeftvanity for your kind words about me as a writer which went along with your review; i really do appreciate it and i am glad you like my writing. _

_Anyways, this chapter is from Eddie's point of view and the one that follows this will be Rachel's. Please let me know what you guys think:) x_

_**Roughly a month after the break up:**_

Eddie sat surreptitiously at his dining room table whilst nursing an untouched cup of coffee. How long had he been sitting in this position? It was unclear, he had been too consumed by his own thoughts. Overthinking had been a regular occurrence in the past six weeks. All he knew was that he would have to make a move soon; it was the first Monday in September. He of all people knew what that meant - a new school year. It pained him deeply to even think about it, god knows how he was going to cope once he actually got to the school. A school that wasn't Waterloo Road. _Stop it. Let it go._

_A fresh start, new people. It'll get easier._ That's what Melissa had told him. Funnily enough, it wasn't the first time that he didn't believe a word she said. Somehow, she had that effect on people. Eddie had kept his contact with her minimal - purely about the baby only. Even then, they didn't manage to escape the niggling arguments brewing between them. Some were about Rachel, about how he was still in love with her. He wasn't going to deny it, Eddie reckoned that infuriated Melissa even more. Frankly, he didn't much care. She was the mother of his child; nothing more, nothing less.

He wasn't a genius, but Eddie gathered if things were going to get better, they would have by now. _42 days. _That's how long he and Rachel had spent apart. With each day that went by, the pain got worse, not better. That was all he needed to know to accept that he would never forget about that woman.

His new role wasn't a deputy head's one. No, Eddie couldn't bring himself to be anyone's deputy other than hers - it didn't sit right with him. Instead, he took a demotion; he was now your classic mundane Mathematics teacher. _The joys. _

After several more minutes sat stationary, Eddie finally found the motivation to get dressed. Once he got to the hallway, he couldn't help but glance down at the row of shoes against the radiator. In particular, the gap. The gap where she would put her shoes. As of yet, he hadn't closed it - couldn't bring himself to push his shoes together. Unlike Rachel, who was seemingly willing to cut off all contact with him.

_Get a grip. She's probably moved on already. _

….

_This would be the hard bit._ Eddie said to himself as he approached his new school. Every day without fail, he would park next to Rachel's car. They would have said good morning to each other and shared a bit of banter if nothing else. This job would be different, he was only doing it for the money really. He would go to work, keep himself to himself and nothing more. He didn't half sound miserable, it even crossed his mind that he would be Nashville Academy's very own Grantley Budgen at this rate.

As he swung into the car park, Eddie drank in the features of the newly refurbished building; it was already a world away from Waterloo Road. He hadn't quite decided if that was a good or bad thing yet. Yes, it would make evoking nostalgic memories unlikely, but still; Waterloo Road was the school he belonged in, with Rachel by his side. No fancy building could change that. This thought caused the words of Rachel to echo accordingly in his mind.

_This school is not just a building. It's us, it's all of you lot. _

Eddie shook himself out of his bubble and decided to isolate himself from every other staff member. He pulled up as far away from the abundance of cars as possible. He didn't want to be disturbed. As he emerged from his car, the approaching figure wasn't the first thing to engulf him. Thick, billowing clouds were rolling in over him: a painful reminder of that day. The drop of rain that settled on Eddie's nose created far too many parallels for his liking.

'Hello?'

It was only then that Eddie averted his gaze from the skies, and reluctantly made eye contact with the woman standing in front of him.

'Hi.' He simply replied.

'I'm Sophie Biglow, head of maths. You're Eddie Lawson, right?'

_Brown eyes._

_Auburn hair._

_Why did she look so much like Rachel? _

Realistically, she probably didn't - it had become a habit of Eddie's to think about Rachel in any given situation. The only similarity between the two women was in fact the brown eyes and auburn hair.

'Yes, good to meet you,' he stretched a hand out to hers and almost cringed at how happy she looked. Eddie doubted that he would ever be that joyful again. The unwanted handshake with Sophie took him back to the day he met Rachel. Two years ago. Nothing could compare to the spark he felt when they touched for the first time.

_Rhia has spoken really highly of you. I'm glad to have you as my deputy. _

He had to snap out of it. There was no way he could make a half decent impression in his current state. Like he had thought, this wasn't going to be easy at all.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello everyone, thank you so much for all your support with this fic so far. The lovely reviews are very much appreciated. _

_Just a quick note - apologies if chapter 2 and this one have been a little boring, I am trying to just set the scene at the moment before I move on to the main events (that will probably be the next chapter.) _

_Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this... please let me know what you think :) _

A new term at Waterloo road and the controversial merger wasn't the only difference on Rachel's agenda. Infact, the majority of her thoughts were spent chewing on a separate change altogether.

_No more Eddie Lawson. _

It had been tough enough living without him in her home life, Rachel wasn't sure if she could stomach even a _day_ at work without him. In particular, his presence in her office would be missed - the way he shoved his hands deep in his pockets on instinct, or the way Eddie knew he was welcome so never bothered knocking. Somehow, Rachel managed a silent chuckle whilst she pondered on the fond memories. Funnily enough, she would even miss his informal dress attire. That one time he wore a tie was something she would never forget.

_It's a one off. _

A deep sense of misery formed in the pit of her stomach. Rachel realised that she would never know if the tie was a _one off. _If he would ever wrap one around his slender neck again. Anything that occurred in his future life would not be shared with her. Rachel wouldn't be the one to straighten his ties. Someone else perhaps, just _not her._

_Another woman. _

_Melissa? _

_His __**child**__. _

_**Melissa's **__child. _

Rachel stiffened her body in an attempt to curse her mind furiously. _When would she learn to forget the past and focus on the future? _Rachel's late teenage years had always haunted her. They weren't something that she was proud of. Now, her recollection of the past would be full to the brim with _what ifs _and _maybes. _It would be overflowing with thoughts of the life she could've had; but wouldn't have.

_Now was not the time_. She would assign her pivotal focus to Waterloo Road. No distractions, no side tracking. Every ounce of resilience left in her would go into work this term; no doubt about it. Rachel's job would be the thing keeping her steady, the thing that would stop her tipping over the edge. _At least she hoped so. _

….

Rachel's eye line hovered over the sea of bottle green and burgundy uniforms. She was scanning for something, anything to take her mind off the events that had occurred the last time she was stood in this position. It was discovered that not even the intensity of the vibrant colours could hold back Rachel's recollection of _that day. _

_Was she hallucinating?_

A vision of Eddie reappeared. Clear enough so she could pretend he was there. The expression etched within his features had tormented her mind over the past six weeks. Now, it was even more prominent. His words replayed like a recording would in her brain. Only there was no pause button; his utterances were a constant reminder of all she had lost _that day. _

… _I just don't want to hear you say it_

It seemed even Eddie didn't have hope, he knew that the outcome had been imminent.

_It… It doesn't make sense._

Her brain had told her to correct him, to tell him that all the pieces of the puzzle fit. So she had obeyed - to the detriment of her heart and their relationship.

_I love you Rachel. _

The first and last time they would mutter those words to one another. Quite literally, it was tragic. Their love was a symbol for their separation; it replaced the goodbye they didn't say. For Rachel, speaking the word 'goodbye' was too definite. She had to have hope, although deep down, she knew that it was over. It was unlikely they would ever be reumited.

_It's for the best. _At least that's what she told herself.

….

"I don't want to go in Lindsay, just get off me!" Rachel's attention was shifted dramatically by a female voice she didn't recognise. She suspected that would happen often in the next few days: new pupils; new backgrounds; new problems to solve.

_Sounds like a perfect alternative to drowning in her own thoughts. _

"We've got no choice Em. Just stop being a baby."

Now was Rachel's time to intervene. Be a_ headteacher. _

"Hey girls, what's going on here? Everything alright?" she queried, careful not to sound too harsh or too patronising.

"Nothing," the elder girl replied bluntly. It was clear who was in charge here. _Sisters perhaps?_

"Come on Em, let's go," the teenager continued and tugged on the girls arm in the process.

"I'd just like a quick word with the both of you. Sisters?"

Lindsay nodded in response with Emily following suit like a puppet.

_Something was off here. There was more to this than just new school nerves. _

Rachel concluded that future interventions would be required after just a brief encounter with the two new pupils. They could be her antithesis of the current thoughts bombarding her mind. A contrasting scenario to ponder on. Even so, Rachel still couldn't help but think about how she would've halved this issue in the past. Discussed it with a_ certain deputy_. A certain_ Eddie Lawson. _

The mind was uncontrollable._ Demoralising_. Every little thing Rachel thought of somehow wormed its way back to that man. She took one final glance at her surroundings before entering the building. By some means, that concluding stare reinforced her logic. _That day_, her and Eddie had crumbled. Their relationship had collapsed along with the school. Except now; the building was rebuilt. _Fixed_. Something she was far from. Without Eddie, her current state couldn't be resolved.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi everyone. As always, a huge thank you faeftvanity, Mrs Carmichael, Lynny and RachelMasonFan39 for the continued support and lovely reviews. I appreciate you and all other people who continue to read this story so much. It really inspires me to keep going! _

_This chapter is based around the time of Melissa's due date... apologies if not everything is medically accurate - I had to look a few things up :)_

_Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and are enjoying this fic so far. Please let me know what you guys think x_

_**A month and a half later:**_

Eddie planned to keep his eyes solely fixated on the television in front of him. That way, everything seemed to blur out, he could just about discard the nightmare that had become his life over the past 3 months. He could at least pretend to be watching it. Pretend to feel normal.

Ever since her due date had been and gone, Eddie had been anticipating the all important call from Melissa. Despite Rachel not being his primary thought, amazingly, his mind still found a way to worm back to her. After all, this pregnancy was the very reason they had been so cruelly torn apart. Even this mere thought caused his stomach to churn; Eddie didn't want his daughter to feel responsible, to hold a weight that wasn't compatible with her shoulders.

_This was his fault. __**Melissa's **__fault. No one else's._

That would be known to his child, whether her mother liked it or not. Eddie's little girl was to know exactly why she would never meet her aunt. Her aunt that would have had such a positive impact on her life.

A name had not yet been decided. Although, whatever it turned out to be, Eddie knew that his daughter would have a hole in her life and her heart. Just like her father.

Somehow, the buzz of Eddie's phone was felt simultaneously to his thoughts. _A coincidence? _ Before he even began to search for it, he knew who it was. _Melissa. _She had gone into labor. It was now or never: time for Eddie to welcome what has been stopping him from tipping over the edge into the world.

….

The traffic could be described as nothing other than atrocious. An intense tsunami of cars had prevented a speedy journey to the hospital for Eddie. It meant that when he eventually arrived, he was greeted by Philip and no Melissa. As soon as Eddie hovered his gaze in Phil's direction, the accompaniment of a nurse was brought to light. In that moment, the unwanted thoughts overwhelmed Eddie: it was impossible for him to escape them. He wasn't sure what bothered him more - the catastrophic look etched across Phil's face or the presence of a rather worried lady. Why was the nurse there? It unsettled him. All he could focus on was the inevitability of demoralising news. This couldn't be happening, he couldn't stomach the loss of another child. Not today, not ever.

The next few steps that Eddie took could be described as nothing other than painful. His whole body trembled with uncertainty and worry. _This couldn't be happening. _

It was then that an unfamiliar female voice rang in Eddie's ears.

"You must be Eddie, I'm Harriet Moore, a nurse here. Would you like to take a seat?"

Sympathy coloured the nurse's tone. Her utterances alone brought Eddie to the conclusion that if something had happened to his daughter, his life may as well be over.

Not knowing what else to do, Eddie slumped down in a seat adjacent to Philip. His whole body had turned to jelly; the apparent stability of the chair was the only object preventing him from falling apart.

He was aware that the woman was now talking to him. But the words, they felt all jumbled up. Like many things in his life. _It didn't make sense. _

"Shortly after Melissa's waters broke, it came to our attention that she has suffered a prolapsed umbilical cord. It meant that if we had gone ahead with a natural birth, the cord could have become trapped against the baby's body during delivery. We decided that the best possible option was an emergency c - section."

Harriet paused here. By the look on Eddie's face, his mind wasn't capable of absorbing this abundance of information altogether.

For the first time since arriving, Eddie averted his gaze from the floor so that it was level with the nurse's. Somewhere deep within him, he found the courage to speak. To ask the question that had been playing with his mind for several moments now.

"Is… is the baby okay?"

Eddie noted Philip's silence, and glanced across to see a lone tear drop down the boy's cheek.

_His daughter didn't make it. Eddie was almost sure of it. _

Before he could repeat the question, the nurse responded.

"The _baby _is fine."

Clear emphasis on _baby. Something had happened to Melissa. _

Philip's state deteriorated subsequent to the nurses words. Slight tears automatically turned to dramatic sobs. Eddie resisted the urge to engulf the boy in an embrace - he had to know the facts for himself first.

"Melissa… she didn't make it. I'm very sorry Mr Lawson."

Eddie then came to the realisation that Philip's sobs had become uncontrollable. The sound felt like the equivalent to knives in his ears. He couldn't bare to see the boy in so much pain, Eddie had never seen him break down like this before. Which was why, slowly but surely, he succumbed to his longing to comfort Philip, and pulled the broken boy into a tight embrace.

It was difficult for Eddie to comprehend his own feelings. He hadn't loved Melissa, nor had he particularly liked her after the destruction she caused him and Rachel. At the end of the day though, this woman was his _child's_ mum, _Philip's_ mum, _Rachel's _sister; all of whom Eddie cared about unconditionally. So their loss would break him to an equal extent.

Unexpectedly, a rather uneasy feeling washed over him: guilt. Guilt at his relief. He was relieved because, previously, he had thought that his daughter was dead. Eddie had thought he would never even get the opportunity to meet his little girl. It was obvious it would've totally broken him, so he began to understand (but not condone) these feelings.

"H- how?" were Eddie's next choice of words to pose to the nurse, "I mean… I didn't think there was such a risk with c - sections."

Harriet hastily smiled, it was only then that Eddie acknowledged how difficult this must be for her also.

"You're right, they are usually a straightforward process. But Melissa, she developed a postpartum hemorrhage due to a major loss of blood. The doctors did everything they could."

Unsure of how to respond, Eddie turned to Phil, prepared to offer his condolences. However, before the words could even brush his lips, Harriet spoke again.

"Are there any family members of Melissa's that you need to contact?"

_Rachel. He hadn't even thought about it. _

Eddie couldn't breath - this revelation had frozen him to the core. He was going to have to contact Rachel and inform her that Melissa was dead. Her own sister. It would well and truly tear her apart. How could he break her heart again?

When several seconds had passed, Philip arose his head from Eddie's jacket. He recognised that Eddie wasn't going to respond, so spoke for him.

"My auntie Rachel. We'll have to contact her. She'll know who else to call from there."

Hearing her name out loud sent shivers escalating up his spine. Philip's comments reinforced this scenario and brought it to life: Eddie would have to contact Rachel Mason once more.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi everyone. Firstly, can I just say a massive thank you to - Mrs Carmichael, faeftvanity, RachelMasonFan39, Lynny, wrprincess and the guest for your wonderful reviews. Every one of them made me smile, thank you so much for your support. Also thank you to anyone else who is reading this story. _

_I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far, please let me know what you think of this chapter x_

Eddie's thumb hovered over the call button hesitantly. He had been doing this for several moments now. _Get a grip. Her sister has died. _It irritated Eddie enormously that he couldn't seem to put the severity of this situation above his feelings for Rachel. Even though, deep down, he knew that these events outweighed his own thoughts massively. _This had to be done_.

….

A sliver of surprise washed over Rachel when she heard her phone ringing. She was clueless as to who would be ringing her at this time. Unbeknown to her, this feeling of shock would seem miniscule compared to the brick wall that was about to collide with her life.

Sure enough, seeing Eddie's name alone forced her lungs to inhale sharply. Despite her previous logics to do the right thing and rid him from her life - she had kept his number. _Just in case. _

Rachel had been so taken aback by the sight in front of her, she hadn't even thought about answering yet. Of course, she knew that she should pick it up. _Something could've happened._ It seemed like the only plausible explanation for his call, Rachel couldn't understand why else he would be ringing her.

_What though? What had happened?_

All of a sudden she began to shake prominently at the thought of hearing his voice. It was now or never. She had to hit that answer button soon; he was bound to give up any second now.

….

On the ninth ring it crossed Eddie's mind that he should hang up. Rachel's probably deleted his contact, she won't know it's him.

_How wrong he was. _

Just before Eddie was about to rip the phone from his ear and explore his next best options; Rachel's voice engulfed him.

"_Hi_."

That one word was full of uncertainty and curiosity. That one word fortified Eddie's heartbreak surrounding what he was about to tell her. _This was a world away from easy._

….

Rachel had decided to bite the bullet, to answer the phone with a simple '_hi_.' As soon as Eddie reciprocated her greeting, Rachel was sure her earlier suspicions were truthful. His tone was bursting with sorrow and concern. From past experience, she knew that he saved that particular resonance for serious situations.

It had surrounded Rachel's ears several times: Stuart Hordley, the fire, the gun incident, _the day she rejected him, _but most of all, _their break up. _

His voice held stark parallels to all of these events. This was how she knew her instinct was right. Rachel wasn't sure what, but _something_ was very wrong.

….

It was his move, his turn to speak next. _Oh how he wished it wasn't._ After all though, Eddie was the one who had called her; it was only right that the next utterances came from his end. Rachel would be anticipating an explanation for his contact.

"Rach…"

….

"_Rach_."

Despite Rachel's underlying worry, she couldn't help the way this made her heart soar. Eddie had been one of the few people to call her '_Rach_.' It was fair to say she had been missing that just as much as him.

Silence broke out between the pair for several seconds, a silence that Rachel imagined would be even more intense face to face. She sensed that Eddie wanted to say something important. Equally though, she guessed that whatever he was going to tell her was difficult to say. Because of this, she allowed the man a few moments to compose himself.

Rachel had a sudden urge to be with him, to encourage him to talk. Swiflty, this was interrupted and replaced with the uncomfortable feeling of a harsh reminder.

_That wasn't a possibility._

….

Eddie could faintly hear a sigh escape Rachel's lips.

_What was she thinking? _

He was grateful for the segment of time she offered to ready himself. Although, this only reinforced how they were meant for eachother: they knew one another inside and out.

_He couldn't let those feelings take over the purpose of this conversation. _

"I … I'm at the hospital. I need you to come… erm, we can talk about it more when you get here."

Eddie winced at both his uncertainty and vagueness. Deep down though, it was the best way. He couldn't stand the thought of telling Rachel such harrowing news over the phone. No, this had to be done in person.

….

_The hospital? _

Confusion.

Fear.

Dread.

With that she remembered.

_I'm 6 months actually. _

The spiteful words of Rachel's sister once again echoed in her mind. They made her realise something though; if Melissa was six months in July, she'd be nine months now. _Last week was her due date. _

This still didn't help Rachel to understand. It didn't make sense. _Why was her presence needed? _

Along with her question, an abundance of unwanted thoughts began to swirl around in Rachel's mind. They were only emphasised by her earlier inkling surrounding the matter.

If this was to do with Melissa and the baby, a positive outcome was unlikely. Rachel knew there was no way Eddie would've rang her just to inform her of the birth. She guessed he would've acknowledged how painful it would be for Rachel - to see the love of her life with his child, her _sister's_ child.

Despite all of this, she cared about Eddie deeply; equally as much as all those months ago. For once, her heart won. Her mind was defeated.

She would be there for Eddie, no matter the circumstances. Rachel had to find out what was going on.

….

Precisely half an hour later, Rachel emerged from her car. Almost instantly, a bitter wind hit her: this only dampened both the atmosphere and her mood. Along with the breeze, a surge of nerves crashed down on her. She was anxious for two reasons; anxious to come face to face with Eddie once more, but also anxious about the possibilities.

Her eyes scanned the entrance to the hospital, awaiting the sight of Eddie Lawson. Sure enough, she spotted him straight away: Rachel could recognise his face anywhere.

Noticing him allowed her to observe the heartbroken expression set into his face. It matched perfectly with his earlier tone of voice.

_This was bad. _

Their eyes locked and his manner lifted accordingly. _Hope? _Rachel wasn't convinced. She was sure of one thing though: there was no turning back now.

….

Eddie became increasingly aware of Rachel moving towards him. Despite the enormity of the weight hanging over him - Eddie couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and in awe of Rachel's beauty. _Nothing had changed in that respect. _

He was so wrapped up in his mind that Eddie hadn't registered Rachel was now directly in front of him. Their close proximity brought the reality of the situation home for him.

_This wasn't about his feelings, this was about Melissa._

Their greetings bared countless similarities to the beginning of their conversation on the phone. They were short and sweet, it was better that way.

The only difference was the profusion of tension that surrounded them. He gathered straight away that Rachel's suspicions were high. _She knew something was up._

The woman averted her gaze the second their initial conversation had passed. _This was his cue. _

"We should sit down, go somewhere more private."

….

Rachel felt her own expression change the moment Eddie's words sank in.

_Sit down? Go somewhere more private? _Again, from past experience she knew that these utterances were the foundations for bad news.

Her legs wouldn't seem to work, they had turned to jelly. Eddie seemed to sense this change of strength in Rachel's posture. She watched him hesitate then eventually succumb to the urge to reach out to her. She clung onto his arm as if she would never let go - Eddie's touch was the only thing stopping Rachel from falling apart.

Not knowing was something Rachel had always avoided. She needed to know what had happened here; so she could at least try and cope. Somehow though, she made it to the safety of a chair with Eddie's help, and braced herself for the inevitable.

….

Eddie spent their journey from the car park to the waiting room replaying what he wanted to say in his mind. It didn't matter what angle he looked at it from, this was going to be one of the most difficult things he would ever have to do.

He acknowledged that there had been bad blood between the sisters - ever since Melissa made Eddie choose. Even so, he gathered this would make it worse for Rachel. Knowing her, she would drown in guilt.

Eddie longed to place his hand on her leg, her arm, anything that could remove some of the pain. Instead, he inhaled a gulp of air and attempted to explain the past few hours bit by bit.

….

Rachel felt like she was in a living nightmare. Everything around her just seemed to cave in, all previous thoughts were discarded. She tried to force her ears to focus on what Eddie was saying, but it was useless.

_How does this make sense?_

All she could hear was ringing, continuous ringing that only escalated with Eddie's last sentence.

"_Rach I'm so sorry, Melissa didn't make it." _

_Didn't make it? How was that possible? _

Melissa, her sister, is…

_was_, she _was_ a fighter.

….

Eddie yearned for Rachel to say something, anything. Her response was unclear. Infact, she was _frozen_.

Rachel's eyes were fixated solely on the floor. That was when she prized them shut. He guessed she didn't dare to open them for fear of what would happen next.

Only when her eyes unlocked did Eddie see it.

_The first tear. _

He watched her wipe it away in a fury, she had never been one to express her emotions. Eddie ached to reach out to Rachel and tell her it was okay, that it would get better.

Before he could make his mind up, the image of Phil was made clear in the corner of his eye. Eddie acted on instinct to flash the boy a kind but serious look, which read to wait a minute.

He knew that Phil of all people, would understand his aunt's need for space at a time like this.

As expected, that tear wasn't the only one. A flood of salty drops began to cascade down her cheeks and Eddie was alerted to the full extent of her breakdown.

His earlier yearning arose once more. This time, he settled on an arm draped around her shoulders. His gesture caused the woman to sob extensively, uncontrollably.

Accordingly to this, the presence of Phil was remembered and Eddie soon beckoned for him to come over. For now, Philip would be the one to comfort his aunt. Rachel needed her nephew.

Eddie wasn't sure if Rachel was ready for the warmth and consolation he was willing to give. _Time was of the essence. _


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi everyone. Thank you so much for the reviews. They mean a lot._

_The chapter after this one will probably be from Rachel's POV, but for now, this is from Eddie's. _

_Please enjoy and let me know what you guys think x_

For a while, Eddie watched whilst Phil and Rachel remained lost in each other's presence. They were equally as broken by recent events. One thing that concerned him was Rachel's damning silence. She still hadn't muttered a single word.

_Not one. _

He wished she would confide in him once more, like she had done countless times in the past. Before, it had taken far too long for Eddie to gain Rachel's trust, and everything has changed since then. _Could he regain it now? _ With all his heart, he hoped so. Rachel's certitude was overly important to Eddie - more so now than ever.

A glimpse of hope coursed through Eddie's body when Rachel's head emerged from its position on Phil's shoulder.

_Had she read his mind?_ Before the pair were cruelly torn apart, they both held an amazing ability to somehow know what the other was thinking. During the throes of self doubt, Eddie had himself convinced that this had been washed away along with the remnants of their relationship. _Perhaps not. _

Eddie began to scan her features rapidly, he aimed to search for any kind of inkling about what she was truly thinking. It was only when his sight met her lips, that Eddie recognised Rachel's desire to speak. Instantly thoughts spread across his mind like wildfire. He wanted to be prepared for whatever was thrown at him, he wanted to be able to support Rachel no matter what. _She was his priority. _

Next Rachel's throat was ambiguously cleared.

Uncertainty. Confusion. Anxiousness.

For once, the woman sat in front of Eddie was unreadable. The expressions that Rachel's face contorted into were unfamiliar, different, new.

Bit by bit Eddie's own ramblings were eating him alive. Just when he thought that he could no longer take this, Rachel allowed a bundle of words to escape.

"Wh… what about the baby? Where is the baby?"

_The baby. His daughter._

Several hours ago, Eddie's little girl was all he could think about. All he had to hold on to. Now though, the dynamics of Eddie's situation had changed dramatically.

_The mother of his child had died. Rachel was now sat in front of him; the love of Eddie's life who he thought had been lost for good. _

_How could something so tragic produce the only thing that could make Eddie happy? _

The complexity of the question he posed to himself was surreal. Eddie swiftly came to the conclusion it was something he would never figure out.

One thing hit him though: _his child was motherless, _and Eddie hadn't even met her yet. That had to be his next step; the hurdle he was yet to overcome.

"I… the baby is fine Rach,"

Eddie dared to adjoin his hand to Rachel's arm before he continued. He watched as her eyes darted towards his touch and a half hearted expression began to form. In a way, this made Eddie's heart warm with hope and a sense of yearning.

_At least she knew it meant something. _

"I haven't met her yet though."

As expected, this certainly provoked a reaction from Rachel. _Sadness? A longing for her little sister who had been so barbarically snatched away? _

"_Her_?"

No, he had been mistaken. This was _happiness_. Not much of it, but Eddie saw it - loud and clear.

"Yes."

Eddie tilted his head slightly before allowing a smile to form.

He didn't want to push Rachel, equally though - he knew what he had witnessed. For the first time since being reunited, Eddie's vision of her mind was clear.

_She wanted to meet her niece._

"Rachel…"

He spoke softer than ever with endless amounts of care.

"Would you like to see her, the baby?"

For a moment, Eddie thought he had been wrong once more. Self doubt overtook the irrationality behind his original thought process.

Thankfully, this was only brief. Any inkling of uncertainty was ruled out by Rachel's next actions.

The gap between the pair was closed by the small but significant step Rachel took.

"Yes… I… think I'd like to. You know, if that's alright. "

_If that's alright. _

His whole demeanour shattered. Of course it was _alright_. Rachel was the baby's auntie. But above all, she was the love of his life; the person Eddie clasped closest to his heart. He wanted her to be a part of his little girl's life more than anything.

He noted that her voice was continuously shaking, and he understood that completely. As well as that though, Rachel's words held clear undertones of hope. This seemed to parallel perfectly to the way Eddie was currently feeling.

That hope was the phenomenon that spurred Eddie on to take a risk. The hand that had been resting firmly on Rachel's arm was now removed and attached to her hand. He accompanied this with an identical copy of his prior thoughts:

"Of course it's alright."

Electricity bounced between them as soon as their skin made contact. Not for the first time since parting, Eddie's mind was flown back to the day they met. Despite Rachel ultimately taking his role as head master, that same connection had been felt instantly.

_Love. At first sight. _He had experienced it first hand. Eddie knew that it existed.

A mirror image of Rachel's earlier actions brought him back to the here and now. Her glance was taken down to their intertwined hands. Eddie was sure her uncertain expressions were now none existent. What he witnessed in front of him was clear as day. _Rachel still felt something for him, her feelings still remained_.

As much as this enlightened him, Eddie knew it was unlikely Rachel would admit it aloud any time soon. Not one inch of his body was bothered by that; he would take care of her first and foremost, allow her time to grieve for Melissa.

_Only if Rachel would let him look after her._

If he was granted that, Eddie was willing to give her all the time in the world.

With reluctance, Eddie let go of Rachel's hand and spoke a final sentence before parting.

"I'll go and get a midwife."


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello everyone - thank you so much to Mrs Carmichael, faeftvanity, RachelMasonFan39, Lynny, Rachelmasonfan25 and FaeMelody for the lovely reviews on chapter 6. I appreciate you all, they really made me smile. _

_Please enjoy this paragraph x_

Since the revelation, Rachel had felt suffocated by both grief and her own thoughts. Seemingly, the only thing to relieve her from part of this pain was the idea of meeting her newborn niece. A conclusion was reached in Rachel's brain that Philip and the baby, were the only parts of Mel that remained to cling onto.

_All she had left. _

Rachel wanted to relish them both for life. Since Melissa was no longer here, she hoped it would make up for past mistakes with her sister. Maybe Rachel's relationship with her niece and nephew could replace the burning hole that had been left by the absence of Mel. It was the only possible way now she was gone.

Despite Rachel's desire to hold a clear line of contact with the baby, there was no denying the ambiguity present when Eddie's question had washed over her.

_Would you like to see her, the baby? _

Her initial reaction had screamed uncertainty, Rachel was well aware of that. Luckily though, the devotion radiating from Eddie had been enough to push these concepts away.

Still, the presence of anxiety had remained. Yes, the baby was her niece, but she was still Eddie's daughter. _His_ little girl.

_Of course it's alright._

Ever since these words escaped his mouth, they had circulated in Rachel's brain. The care and tenderness that had coloured Eddie's tone was obvious. This relaxed Rachel, reassured her. _Maybe everything would be okay after all. _

On top of his demeanour, electricity sparked between the pair as soon as their skin made contact.

_Had she imagined it? _No, by the look on Eddie's face, he had been alerted to this flicker of desire too. Perhaps like hers, his feelings still remained. _Could it be that Rachel's love for him was still reciprocated? _

For once, Rachel was almost certain about something. He still held feelings for her. For now though, these bubbling sentiments couldn't be brought to the surface. It was clear that both her mind and life were not prepared for more uncertainty just yet. Rachel was already drowning in the loss of Melissa; so the idea of possible rejection terrified her. So as Eddie turned on his heel to find a midwife, Rachel watched him walk away with appreciation and gratitude. She was glad of his stability, glad he was just there to comfort her if nothing else. Right now, a glimmer of hope was needed to at least try and sustain Rachel's order to life.

Reluctantly Rachel averted her gaze, and lingering thoughts regarding the state of Philip were brought to her attention. She knew he was her next obstacle to face, more so though, Rachel had to know how he was coping, or rather _if_ he was coping.

"Philip love?"

Rachel swallowed thickly as she posed this question to her nephew. It was difficult to support another's feelings when she was struggling to comprehend her own at this very moment.

"Hi"

The boy spoke as if he had only just been alerted to Rachel's presence. It seemed that he had been isolated in a world of his own prior to her queries. This was strange for Rachel to see Philip so shook up, so disorientated - she had been used to the company of a strong and independent young man. His manner alarmed her. As expected, it was obvious he would be horrifically affected by today's events.

"How are you doing Philip? I mean… truthfully."

He hesitated and this caused Rachel to worry about Philip's reluctance when revealing his true feelings. She wanted to be there for her nephew, however that was only possible if she knew the extent of the damage done.

"I miss her Rach. My mum, I miss her and it's only been, what? A couple of hours… I just can't…"

Tears surrounded his lower lids and Rachel suspected an upcoming sob was preventing Philip's speech. Her support was needed. She began to wrap the boy in an embrace with hope her warmth would encourage him to continue.

"I just can't… believe she's gone. I'm never gonna see her again, that's it."

"Oh sweetheart I completely understand that… I know exactly how you feel. You know, I never had a chance to sort things out with your Mum… things were… they were left on bad terms."

"She still loved you though Rachel. The other stuff… that didn't matter."

"I hope so Philip, I really do. God knows… I loved her. I love her, very much, despite everything."

It was fair to say Rachel's heart was breaking for her nephew. Like her, he was shattered by his mother's death, and frankly, there was nothing she could do to reverse that pain. It would always be persisting, in some form or another. All Rachel could do was be there for the boy, to support him no matter what.

"Rach, are you ready?"

A familiar tone accompanied with a warm hand whisked Rachel away from her thoughts. Back to the _here and now_. Back to the _reality_.

She sat bolt upright in an attempt to prepare her body for every possible outcome.

Next a brief smile was flashed in Eddie's direction to act as an answer, before Rachel turned to Philip one last time.

"Are you coming Philip?"

The boys eyes darted between herself and Eddie, which allowed Rachel to half anticipate his response.

"I erm… I think I need a bit more time."

She and Eddie gave both words and expressions to convey their understanding.

"Of course."

Rachel muttered her words with a deep sense of compassion, which was only reinforced by Eddie's added words.

"Just whenever you're ready mate."

….

As the pair arrived at the ward, Rachel's anxiousness heightened dramatically. She was well aware of Eddie's stare resting on her features, and for now, this was enough to spur her on, enough for her to feel reassured.

Eddie's presence was the reason she now placed her hand on the door as a signal to show her inclination. To Rachel's surprise, Eddie stopped her movements in her tracks. Her curiosity was at an all time high, right up until he spoke.

"Rach, if you're not ready for this, it's okay. I'm not going to judge you for it, I will understand. You know that don't you?"

Rachel wanted to show her gratitude, so portrayed that through a slight smile. Their bodies were inches apart, and this only intensified their ever growing longing for one another.

_This couldn't happen now_. Rachel had to listen to her head and not her heart once more.

"I do know that, I do. But this has to be done now, I want to do this now. I feel ready."

This comment proved enough for Eddie to trust Rachel judging by the look etched upon his features.

She just hoped her instincts were right.

….

Rachel's niece was a glimmer of sunshine within a storm. The tiny fingers and toes attached to the baby's limbs captured Rachel's attention almost instantly. She was truly phenomenal.

With caution, Rachel outstretched her left arm to take her niece's minuscule hand. Straightaway, her hand was clutched and love spread profoundly across Rachel's body.

A surge of emotion crashed upon Rachel as a result of this contact. Flashbacks of all the moments spent with her sister coursed through her brain. The endless laughs they'd shared together, the countless embraces they endured.

_Not one more embrace would occur, not a single outburst of joy. _

Eddie must've noted the sudden change in emotion; evident with the presence of his palm on her upper back.

This slight gesture alone allowed Rachel to gulp back her tears. She had to focus on the here and now.

"She's beautiful Eddie."

There it was again, that smile sprawled across his face that she had missed so much.

"She is," he agreed in an instant.

It appeared another thought had occurred to Eddie, the way his body stiffened made this obvious to Rachel.

"What is it Eddie?"

Rachel's heart was beating erratically.

_What else could possibly tear her world apart? _

"The nurse… she, mentioned that you will need to contact any other family members, about Melissa."

_Of course_. Her parents, and her brother. The estranged family members who still knew her as Amanda, the estranged family members who knew nothing of her past.

They were the reason she was forced to throw herself on the streets and into prostitution. Her parents didn't want her, didn't need her. And her brother - well, she might as well be dead to him.

Nothing could bring herself to forgive them for their ill treatment. One thing was clear though, they had to be made aware of Melissa's death. All three of them must know.

It wouldn't be easy, not under any circumstances. The contact had to be made though; it was Rachel's role to do so. She would face her family members after over twenty years apart.

_Family members_ who would forever be _strangers_ to Rachel.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi everyone, thank you so much to those who have reviewed and to others reading this story. _

_This chapter is fairly small, but it kind of sets up the next update nicely. Please enjoy it & let me know what you guys think x_

Simultaneously to his words, Eddie witnessed the colour drain from Rachel's whole demeanour. After meeting her niece, it seemed that Rachel had adopted a newfound vibrancy, something to cling onto. Now though, this manner was automatically replaced with a pale, more cavernous tone.

Rachel's next move was imminent - Eddie watched as the woman shifted to the left slightly, subsequently clutching the bed enough to turn her knuckles white.

Once more, desire and concern conquered Eddie's initial thoughts. This was why in an instant, his hand momentously slipped over the surface of Rachel's. Her response was unclear. Eddie was too lost in the moment to comprehend it as their eyes met once again. He doubted that situations like this would ever tire him.

For now, something far more prominent suffocated this significance: _fear_. It was evident in the way Rachel held herself, in the way she was lost in his gaze.

_Was this a cry out for help?_ The answer to this was unknown. Whether the cry was there or not, Eddie would most certainly be there to help her.

In recent years, he had learnt almost everything about Rachel's estranged family members. He had listened with every word and alleviated every cry. She had confided in him deeply during the midst of their relationship. He hoped she would put that same trust and confidence in him now - for Rachel's sake far more than his own.

"Your parents, and your brother."

Prior to his utterances, Eddie had noted Rachel's reluctance, or more the inability to speak for herself. He didn't want to push her, but Eddie knew he had to try if he longed for Rachel to disclose her feelings once more.

A simple nod was taken as a response. Eddie presumed that Rachel would nod away forever if it meant she didn't have to come face to face with her alienated relatives. On top of this, another sentence was toying with his mind. Granted, uncertainty surrounded it in abundance; but Eddie succumbed to this self doubt almost immediately. A promise had been made to himself: from now on Eddie would be there for Rachel no matter the consequences or occurrences.

"We will do this together. You're not alone Rachel."

….

_We. Together._

_Not alone. _

To Rachel, Eddie's words felt like a mirage. This could only be described as a surreal moment. Still, these overpowering sentiments couldn't halt the trepidation that was lurking in her stomach.

Her heart was slowly creeping up on her head. _She couldn't let that happen. _

Only now did it register with Rachel how close they were to one another. Her and Eddie were _inches_ apart.

_It's not going to change anything though. _

Words exchanged several months ago strangely applied to her current situation. _Oh Eddie i love you too. _As well as Rachel's decision to do the right thing, her adoration for the man in question still lingered. _She couldn't let this happen. _

"I'm sorry Eddie… I can't… I can't do this. This isn't your problem anymore. It's mine, and mine only."

Rachel knew her words would sting, _break_ Eddie even . What could she do though? She had _no choice. _

For Rachel, his expected pain was only emphasised by the distinct parallels between Eddie's countencance now and the one of _that day. _ This shattered her whole manner extensively.

_Her mind couldn't be changed. _That's what Rachel told herself; deep down though, she was aware that it could be transformed. By Eddie. On the back of this thought, she spun on her heel and aimed for the door.

"I want it to be my problem. Please Rachel, just stop running. Let me be there for you."

There it was. The only voice that could possibly shift her mindset. Seemingly, her stare was forced to meet Eddie's before he spoke once more.

"You're still my first priority."

….

_You're my first priority. _

He had said it - Eddie had spoken the words he never got a chance to repeat that night. That night he had been stopped in his tracks by Rachel's front door. She had closed it on their relationship. Now, there was no door - only a gaping space between them. He longed for Rachel to seal that gap now, seal it instead of pulling them further apart.

This would only be told by the next few moments. _Rachel's upcoming actions. _

"Just stop running." he implored in the form of a whisper.

All Eddie could do was hope and pray that she would listen.

….

Suddenly, the urge to reach out to Eddie and to let him help her was overwhelming for Rachel.

_How was this even possible?_ In the space of mere seconds he had reversed her thought process entirely. Eddie had drawn Rachel back in to the confinement of her heart.

She had become accustomed to silence in recent hours: now, the still atmosphere set in once more. Something about the look Eddie gave her in that second made her realise that she _needed_ him. Head or heart, she _needed_ this man standing in front of her. Rachel doubted that she could do this without him.

….

It was as if a switch had been flicked. Seemingly, Rachel now had everything worked out. At least, that's what her mannerisms told Eddie. Before he could even comprehend the change in facial expression, the woman was walking towards him.

Not _away_ from him. She was getting _closer_. She _wasn't running. _

This was far from Eddie's expectations. As much as he didn't want to believe it, his assumptions were that today's events would be a mirror image of _that day's. _

The day Eddie lost the love of his life for good. Or at least that's what he thought. Perhaps now, there was a chance. Perhaps now Rachel had shown signs of opening up, they would be able to fix things. _In time. _

"What about… the baby? You can't leave her."

_Uncertainty. Anxiety_. They were still limiting factors within Rachel's being. Eddie had to _reassure her. _

"Rachel... the midwives, they understand the circumstances, they will be here to look after her. And when Philip's ready, he can sit with her too. Besides, if they still live in Manchester, we're only gonna be gone a couple of hours. Tops. Just trust me on this Rachel."

She glanced down at the ground in an instant. _Defeated_. Eddie guessed that Rachel knew he was right, that Rachel knew she was just making up more reasons to push him away.

Eddie wouldn't, _couldn't_, let her do that. _Not this time. _

….

Every fibre of her being knew Eddie's words were truthful. Her mind was near impossible to control, it seemed that he was the only one capable of relaxing it. Making it _see sense_.

The sensible, _rational_ thing to do, was take Eddie with her. His support was essential. So for once, Rachel conquered her brain and spoke with ease.

"Let's go then. They need to know as soon as possible."


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the lovely reviews and support with this story. _

_I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, you all deserve it. Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think x _

Every so often, Eddie removed his stare from the road to check on the woman sat beside him. It was the way Rachel fixated her gaze on the floor that blew her cover. This alone told him that she had become embedded with additional worry as the drive went on. Subsequently, her state was reinforced by the silence that elapsed when they eventually pulled up outside her parent's house.

"Rach," he almost whispered, breaking Rachel's external trance, "are you ready?"

As soon as he spoke the words, Eddie cursed himself for the questioning. How could she ever be ready for something like this?

Shock overcame him along with Rachel's response. She simply turned to face him and braved a smile, "as ready as I'll ever be."

It was those words in particular that amazed Eddie. He had already been overwhelmed by Rachel's bravery and strength in the past, and now - even more so. In the space of 4 hours, she had received news of her sister's death, come face to face with Eddie once more and had been battered with the revelation of her distant relatives. After all that, this extraordinary person that was Rachel Mason, still managed to plaster a smile on her face; genuine or not. Like many instances before, it came to Eddie's attention that she was truly unbelievable.

A few moments later found the pair stood directly outside the front door. Eddie watched as Rachel studied the exterior carefully, then steeped herself in order to prepare for the inevitable.

Rachel's true vulnerability was only accentuated by her next query.

"Can you do it Eddie…knock?"

He expressed his response with a supportive hand before following Rachel's requests.

One minute passed, then two. It seemed that the silence between them had lingered until this point.

"Do you know Eddie they might not even live here anymore… I'll just have to think of…"

At that exact moment their attention was magnetised towards the door once more. Judging by the way Rachel's body automatically stiffened, this was her mother. Not only that, Eddie noted the stark similarities in appearance between mother and daughter. He found it rather strange, considering they were obviously miles apart with regards to personality. Eddie had worked that one out for himself after everything Rachel had shared with him.

"Who are you and what do you want? You'd better not be selling anything, I'm not having it…"

The second the woman opened her mouth, Eddie longed to whisk Rachel away from this apparent disaster. It was quite obvious she didn't even recognise her own daughter. Granted, it had been over twenty years, but Eddie could never imagine being clueless to the presence of his children.

Apparently Rachel was just as baffled, she stuttered several times before managing a single word.

"I'm … I'm…"

_Of course. _

She couldn't simply state 'I'm Rachel' since her mother hadn't known her as that. If at all, she'd remember her as Amanda. Someone who was a lifetime away from where Rachel was today.

Eddie noticed how the woman pulled a flabbergasted facial expression as if to say 'go on then enlighten me.' This only infuriated him further, he disliked this woman with a passion already. His feeling of anger melted away instantaneously to the look Rachel presented him with - it was a cry out for help.

"This is your daughter."

Eventually, Eddie managed to string a sentence together. At first though, his heart was breaking overwhelmingly due to Rachel's inability to mutter her former name. As an instinct, his hand had been placed on the small of her back in the hope of support. Which was why, when her mother's reaction unfolded, Eddie felt Rachel's body jerk ever so slightly.

"Amanda... Graeme!"

The woman turned on her heel slightly, presumably beckoning her husband. This was followed by a faint voice which had Rachel producing a pale white colour across her features.

It was a look Eddie knew only too well.

….

Flashback:

"_He used to… my father he…" _

_"__Rachel, you don't have to tell me this if you don't want to." _

_"__No Eddie, I have to. I want to… it's been bottled up, all these years. I've been, you know, sort of waiting for the right person to share my deepest secrets with…" she paused for a moment, cupping Eddie's cheek with her right hand, "and now I know, that person is you." _

_In response, Eddie simply smiled softly to portray a sense of encouragement. Every fibre in his being was delighted that Rachel trusted him in his way. Equally though, Eddie couldn't comprehend just how harrowing this revelation must be for Rachel to conceal it all these years. _

_"__He used to beat me up. On a regular basis. I managed to deal with it, until this one time… he threatened to kill me, had me at knife point against the wall actually. For a moment, I really believed he would do it. So that was it for me, the final straw if you like." _

_"__Oh Rachel," he muttered on instinct, pulling her close instantly. He felt Rachel gulp slightly before continuing, presumably fighting back the tears. _

_"__Melissa, he loved her deeply. Never laid a finger on the girl in my presence. When I left though… that changed, and she was in the firing line. It had been three years since I left when she called me, told me she had to get out of there. She was 18. My parents, they haven't seen Melissa or I since then. We cut off all contact with them." _

….

With the appearance of her father, Eddie's grip on Rachel only tightened. He gathered how terrifying this must be for her. By all accounts, Rachel's last run in with Graeme hadn't been a pleasant one, and Eddie knew she would be fretting about the implications of that now.

"Well well well, if it isn't Amanda… and who's this, your bit on the side?"

The man sneered viciously, almost spitting in their direction. This almost had Eddie acting on impulse, he had to suppress his underlying anger for Rachel's sake entirely. In that moment, there was nothing Eddie wanted to do more than collide his own fist with Graeme's face.

It would most certainly be deserved.

….

Her parent's initial reactions had Rachel more than glad of Eddie's presence. She genuinely didn't know how she would've handled any of it alone. Now they were there, all Rachel wanted to do was break the devastating news and run. To her, it sounded harsh, but deep down she knew what her parents were capable of, her father in particular. They didn't justify the pretences she had built up nicely over the years.

"Can I come in, we need to talk."

Her mother, Susan, made a move to speak, but it seemed her father had different ideas.

Nothing had changed in that respect then.

"And why should we let you into our house? After all these years of no contact, hm?"

"Look it's important."

Graeme sneered, however his evil presence was swiftly suppressed with a look of concern from Susan.

"Just let her in Graeme. She says it's important."

….

Acting on his natural tendency, Eddie sat as close as possible to Rachel. He longed to protect her at all costs. Their previous situation had been discarded for now, Eddie's sole purpose in that moment was to shield Rachel from any evil projected her way.

Only when the pair began to scan their surroundings, did it register to Eddie that something wasn't quite right.

Several pictures of adult Melissa surrounded them - by the beach, in a restaurant, their back garden.

What was going on here?

The look etched into Rachel's features had Eddie's brain clicking into gear. It was evident that Melissa had kept contact with her parents, unbeknownst to Rachel.

"I… I don't understand… what are all these pictures?"

Rachel's confuses questioning almost read Eddie's mind to the word.

"What, you don't know?" Susan interrogated, a clear intonation of hatred in her words.

Rachel simply shook her head in disbelief. Eddie knew the woman didn't need Susan's confirmation; it was clear Rachel had already put two and two together.

This would utterly shatter her world.

"Oh Amanda, I can't quite believe she didn't tell you. Melissa, she contacted us a few years after she left, we've been close with her ever since."


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the reviews, i hope you are all liking this story. _

_Sorry for the delay in updating this, Christmas has taken its toll! _

_Hope you all enjoy & please let me know what you guys think x_

The urge to get up and run was overpowering Rachel. Perhaps this was held back by the echoing of Eddie's earlier words, his pleading.

_Just stop running. _

As well as his presence, a burning sensation settled uncomfortably in Rachel's mind. It was kicking and screaming at her to _tell them_.

_Tell your parents their beloved daughter has died._

Despite her longing to dig deeper, Rachel acknowledged that she needed to break the news of Melissa's death right this moment, before anything else was determined. Recriminations aside, Rachel inhaled sharply to prepare for her upcoming revelation.

Seemingly, Eddie had sensed this - judging by the newfound close proximity between himself and Rachel. Internally, Rachel allowed herself to smile at this. For once, she was glad that her heart had won, glad her mind had been discarded. However his recent actions only confirmed her initial thoughts: this silence had to be broken, her parents had to be informed first and foremost.

"Look, there's something you need to know."

Her mother's brows furrowed, her position shifted dramatically. Graeme however, simply slumped down next to Susan; showing no signs of support for his wife. Rachel found herself wondering how the couple had stayed together, considering everything she had witnessed in her teenage years.

"Melissa she…"

Her father's head snapped to the right, clearly connoting something along the lines of 'we haven't got all day.' Rachel wanted to launch herself at him, slap him, anything. Make the man pay for his actions _now_ and everything she had endured in the _past_. How could he be so inconsiderate?

"She died. Earlier today."

For once Graeme's features contorted into some sort of emotion: shock perhaps? Her mother though, was well and truly broken. Sorrow flooded over Rachel's body instantly. Granted, Susan hadn't even attempted to stop her father's abuse in the past. But that didn't stop Rachel from _loving _her, _caring _for her.

Momentarily to Rachel's grief, Eddie's placed a firm grip around her shoulders. His apparent ability to understand Rachel's every emotion astounded her to this day.

"H-how?"

Susan managed a muffled word that was almost drowned out by her consistent cries.

"As you might know, she was pregnant. There were… complications. The baby, she's fine."

"We didn't know," Susan responded to Rachel's slight dig at her earlier declaration, "she never told us. We haven't seen her for several months."

"So then Amanda, where've you been all these years?"

Spiteful as ever, Graeme was apparently blind to the current situation. No tragedy could get in the way if he felt the need to question Rachel's actions.

But it wasn't _Rachel's _actions to him. It was _Amanda's. _Quickly realising this had to change, Rachel braces herself once more.

"I changed my name, it's Rachel now."

She spoke with caution, avoiding her father's gaze - instead, locking eyes with the only man she could ever truly trust. _Eddie. _His deep brown eyes had the desired effect, they gave Rachel the courage to face any upcoming questions that Graeme would undoubtedly throw at her.

"Rachel?"

Graeme almost spat, ignoring Susan's attempts to calm him.

"How dare you disrespect your mother and I like that? Changing your name? You're pathetic _Amanda._"

His words alone caused Rachel to flinch, which was only emphasised by her father's newfound closeness. It seemed that she wasn't the only one uncomfortable with these new dynamics; Eddie was quick to leap out of his seat, to come to Rachel's defence once more.

"I think that's enough Graeme, don't you?"

"And who would you be, _big man?_"

"Eddie Lawson, a friend of Rachel's."

Graeme simply scoffed which alone made Rachel shudder. That single mocking brought back an abundance of unwanted memories for her. The time her father decided to throw her down the stairs, or when he attempted to drown her in the bath. Each time, that same scoff was present. Each time, Rachel felt ridiculed by his presence. Except now, it was different. _Eddie_ was here. Perhaps that was why she felt stronger, more able to stand up to Graeme.

"I think I ought to be asking you a few questions, don't you Graeme."

Rachel's voice was calm and collected given the circumstances. She found it strange the way her eyes took pleasure in watching her father grimace, when 'Graeme' rolled off her tongue and not 'father.' Rachel hoped he recognised that he'd lost the right to be called that a very long time ago.

"Just sit down Graeme."

A voice from the sofa came to Rachel's attention. Her mother's. Could it be that she was willing to stand up for herself and her family after all these years of hiding?

"Aman… Rachel, is right. We have a lot of explaining to do."

Rachel's eyes snapped up in disbelief at her mother's correction. That simple act of speech was something she would always remember - _acceptance, _it was something she had always longed for. Maybe her mother would give her that, _in time_. Maybe Rachel could forgive Susan, _in time._

"Do you know about Philip?"

For Rachel, it seemed a reasonable start. She had to know if Phil had been part of this deceit, if Melissa had put him through the pain of that all this time.

"Melissa's son."

Susan began, which in turn caused Rachel's stomach to lurch.

_Had they watched him grow up? _Philip's first steps, his first words, his first day at school.

Apparently not.

"She told us about him, yes. But we've never met him. I think… I think she thought it would cause you to find out."

Several emotions washed over Rachel's body at her mother's confession: a deep sense of loyalty and compassion for Philip, with an equal sense of disgust at her sister's actions and her thought processes.

From this moment on, Rachel removed herself from the situation and unconsciously zoned out completely. Somehow a regular occurrence, it was Eddie to bring her out of this state.

"Rachel."

She glanced up slightly, momentarily locking eyes with his.

"Let's go."

Those words were something she would be forever grateful for. That, and his steadfast present. How glad Rachel was that he had persuaded her - for once she acknowledged that this was something she couldn't have done alone.

A mere goodbye said to her parents, Eddie sweeped Rachel away from the place she could describe as hell.

"Come on you, get in the car," Eddie spoke softly, attaching a caring smile to his words.

Initially, Rachel fought the urge to cry, to shed a single tear. She could not reveal her true emotions to anyone, not now, not here. It was strange, because one look from Eddie and a switch was flicked. Something within her was flipped back to how they used to be, when her and Eddie were happy and content with one another, when she confided her whole life in him. That was when she allowed herself to succumb to the salty residue.

Despite having her face buried within her hands, Rachel instantly anticipated the embrace Eddie gave. His touch was almost an instant cure to her wounds, she was healing - slowly, but with Eddie it could be done. Of course, past occurrences still remained: Melissa, _his _daughter, _her _niece, their uncertainty; it was all still very present. But for now, this was forgotten - the pair had silently agreed to focus on the here and now. In this moment, she needed him and he needed her; simple as that.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hi everyone, thank you so much to Mrs Carmichael, faeftvanity, FaeMelody and RachelMasonFan39 for the reviews. They all made me smile. _

_This chapter is a fairly short one, but it is kind of a filler chapter for the next one - please enjoy :) x_

Reluctantly, the pair broke apart from their long needed embrace. It seemed that reality couldn't be avoided forever. Eddie glanced at the digital clock slightly - 19:42. Six hours since Melissa's death was brought to his attention. Five hours since he was reunited with Rachel. To Eddie, this day had felt like a week; a whirlwind of varied events had occurred. The occurrences of recent hours were not something he was prepared for, or at all expecting for that matter. Eddie's emotions throughout the day had been at an all time high, he genuinely didn't know what to feel. Today brought him a daughter, his own beautiful little girl. On top of that, the reconciliation with his one true love. Eddie had been presented with something that could fulfil his happiness. Equally though, the mother of his child was dead. Rachel's sister. It was unbelievably difficult to witness Rachel slowly falling apart bit by bit, today had broken her - no doubt she was feeling utterly overwhelmed by the circumstances that had unfolded.

"Eddie."

Rachel's soft voice immediately removed Eddie from his ever growing trance. His thoughts were so prominent, that Eddie hadn't even recognised the thick silence surrounding them.

His head was lifted as a way of response, Eddie gathered this gesture would clarify his want to listen to whatever Rachel had to say.

"I can't thank you enough… for everything you've done today. Eddie, you didn't give up on me, and that's something I will be forever grateful for. I pushed you away when I needed you most, I recognise now, that these last few hours wouldn't have been possible without you."

Eddie wasn't a crier. Only twice in his life did salty residue escape his lids: his mother's death, and the day he and Rachel parted. So to say crying wasn't something Eddie was accustomed to, would be a perfect explanation. This might've been why the man wasn't necessarily prepared for the liquid that seeped down his cheeks in turn for Rachel's words. Every second, every hour of sorrow he had endured that day, came down to this.

Briefly, Rachel's own eyes filled up at the sight of Eddie's upset. No, he had been strong for her, it was her turn now. Rachel decided in that moment, that she must put right all the wrongs: comfort Eddie, care for him. Just like he had done countless times for her.

Acting on instinct, Rachel slowly brought her hand up to the man's face to gently wipe away any evidence of tears. In turn Eddie shut his eyes and mentally stored this moment, not wanting it to disappear unexpectedly.

"Don't cry darling."

_Darling_.

This hit Eddie like a tonne of bricks. For months, he had associated that one word with their breakup, his cruel departure. Not once did Eddie believe he would hear Rachel mutter '_darling' _again. In fact, in the depths of self doubt, Eddie had imagined Rachel with _another _man, living _another _life. A life separate from the one they had built up so very well together.

"Come back to the hospital with me, to see Isabelle again."

Eddie spoke hushly, covering Rachel's hand with his own.

"Isabelle?" she queried, although already aware of what he meant.

"That's what I've decided to call the baby. For a while, I sat and thought about it… when I saw her though, that name just sprung to mind."

"It's beautiful Eddie, just like her."

"I thought it would be nice to give her a middle name too. What do you think?"

"I think that's a lovely idea," Rachel smiled in reassurance, turning her hand over to allow herself to squeeze his, "have you thought of one already… a middle name I mean?"

Eddie glanced down instantly, unsure of whether to voice his thoughts. A middle name for his daughter was something Eddie had only considered in recent hours. But he didn't want it to be any old name, it had to symbolise something, _someone. _Eddie longed for it to be special, he wanted his daughter to hold her name with pride. A silence had elapsed, which was when Eddie raised his gaze once more to meet Rachel's. The second his stare was welcomed by her facial expression, Eddie knew his initial ideas had to be communicated.

"Rachel… I would like it to be Rachel."

"Eddie I …" she stuttered in disbelief, "I don't quite know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I would love for Isabelle to grow up and hold similarities to the woman you are today, so I thought giving her a part of you was a good way to start."

Eddie received a sincere smile filled with warmth in response. It was then he realised he had no reason to doubt himself, no reason to be nervous. The reaction Rachel gave was priceless, something he would always remember. It was clear for Eddie to see just how much this meant to her. With that, he ignited the engine, and the pair were soon on their way back to the hospital.

….

"Oh Eddie look," Rachel gasped, pulling him back slightly upon glancing in the room.

Her touch alone was enough to stop Eddie in his tracks, let alone the beautiful sight his eyes were presented with. Philip was perched on a chair next to his Isabelle's cot, stroking her hair ever so gently and whispering nursery rhymes. It was an image both Eddie and Rachel would have etched in their minds forever. For Rachel especially, she knew how much of a deal this was for the boy, he had just lost his mother and apparently, it had come to his attention that his younger sister was one of the few things remaining connected to Melissa.

Several seconds elapsed before the pair emerged into the room. Rachel's hand came to rest on Philip's shoulder, as a gentle way of breaking this content state.

"Philip love, are you alright?"

"Hi Rach, Eddie," he muttered in response, unconsciously discarding Rachel's initial question.

She could sense that the boy was obviously feeling marginally better, Rachel hoped that was due to the steadfast presence of his baby sister. This was why she felt reluctant to remove Philip from this bubble, however, Rachel knew she had to raise the subject of her parents. No matter how difficult it would be, the boy had to be made aware of the situation, she had to offer him the option of meeting his grandparents. It would be unfair not to.

"Come with me for a second Philip."

Rachel spoke softly, attaching her words with a smile in an attempt not to startle him. Eddie glanced at her with an expression full of support, he was anticipating the difficult challenges that lay ahead of Rachel. He wanted to guide her through that; reassuring as possible. Eddie had already allowed her to slip through his fingers once before, that wasn't something he wanted to put himself or Rachel through again. No, Eddie longed to be present for the foreseeable future.


	12. Chapter 12

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the lovely reviews. They really do mean a lot:)_

_Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & New Year. Please enjoy this chapter x_

"So erm… what is it Rach, what's up?"

In turn for Philip's question, Rachel felt a pang of guilt surge through her body. This boy had been through hell in recent hours; undoubtedly he would be expecting the worst when presented with even a hint of uncertainty. Rachel realised now, that she had been too vague with her initial comments. She of all people knew how damaging it could be to be kept in the dark and faced with the unknown, which was why Rachel had to explain herself now and fast.

"Listen, you know how I never really, reconnected with my… parents after leaving home," a pause elapsed, allowing Phil to digest this and hazard a nod, "well you know I presumed that… your mum, was the same."

Rachel witnessed a fresh layer of tears spread across Philip's eyes at the mention of his mother. As a result of this, Rachel found herself second guessing this conversation. _Is telling him truly the right thing to do? _At this point, the answer appeared blurred, neither of the options are right or wrong. This revelation could easily taint Philip's vision of Melissa, much like it did Rachel's. Aside from this, it seemed wrong to conceal something so significant from the boy. _He has a __**right**_ _to know. I now have a __**duty**_ _to tell him._

Rachel inhaled sharply, preparing herself for the worst. Only she knew what was to come next.

"It came to light when Eddie and I visited my parents earlier, that Melissa, she… she's been in contact with them for a number of years…"

The boy's facial expression changed within seconds, Philip didn't give Rachel a chance to elaborate before cutting in.

"I didn't know Rachel, I swear, I didn't have anything to do with it… if I'd have known I could've…"

Rachel could recognise Philip's rambling anywhere, he was in a state of shock, and the ramifications seemed to be a mixture of self blame and anxiousness.

"Hey… _hey_," Rachel muttered reassuringly, placing a hand on each of Philip's shoulders, "it's not your fault Philip, don't ever think that. Okay?"

Seemingly, the boy conceded defeat - evident in the way his head dropped and nodded ever so slowly.

"There's one thing I do have to ask you though love."

With that, Philip's head shot up; curiosity darting from his left eye to his right one.

"Would you like to meet them?"

Silence drowned out any previous emotions: it was thick and it was suffocating the atmosphere. Rachel could almost visibly see Philip's mind working away, thinking through every possible scenario and sifting through the endless list of consequences. Then it clicked - the poor boy would be clueless about what to think. He needed to process her question, most of all though, Philip required _time._

"You just take your time Philip," Rachel removed herself from the chair, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder to emphasise her next comment, "I'll be here for you, whatever you decide."

….

"How did it go?" Eddie queried lightly, as Rachel reapproached the cot.

She pondered on this for a moment. How _did _it go? After the discussion with Phil, not much had been cleared up. Every part of Rachel hoped she had approached the situation correctly; for Philip's sake far more than her own. Upon realising she had yet failed to give Eddie an answer, Rachel voiced her thoughts.

"Honestly Eddie…I'm not sure. You know, I just worry I've made everything ten times worse for the boy."

Immediately, Eddie sensed the apprehension in Rachel's tone and was rather quick to correct her suggestion.

"He just needs time Rach," he began, mirroring her earlier thoughts, "there's nothing more you can do, he knows you're there for him, and that's all that matters."

A brief smile tugged at Rachel's lips - it was funny how Eddie never failed to rid her brain of negativity. Only after several seconds did both parties begin to reflect on the moment they had just shared. Their locked gaze spoke masses of volumes; no words were exchanged but that one look verbalised itself: Rachel and Eddie were still deeply in love with one another. And now, for the first time, they were aware of one another's feelings.

"I was thinking of heading home for a while," Rachel rambled, changing the subject broached in her mind almost instantly, "just to shower, grab a change of clothes."

Eddie glanced down in response but nodded, accepting Rachel's comments, "of course."

The man sensed Rachel's upcoming exit. Any moment now she would turn on her heel and remove herself from the room, as well as from her feelings.

"The midwife said that Isabelle can go home tomorrow," Eddie approached a new topic, wanting to extend Rachel's attention for as long as possible. As she gave her response, he glanced up, and two sets of eyes met once more.

"That's brilliant news… I'm happy to help, with well, you know getting things in order. Make sure you have all the essentials."

In that moment, Eddie had to stifle a rather large grin which was threatening to form as a result of Rachel's offer. Seemingly, she was willing to assist him just as much as he was longing to help her.

"Night night Eddie," she spoke softly and with endless amounts of care. Rachel's parting words caused Eddie to reminisce their first drink together, when she had aimed to persuade him to rekindle his relationship with Michael. His feelings for Rachel had emerged right from the outset, the moment they shook hands in fact. For Eddie though, that night was the one where he had truly fallen in love with Rachel Mason.

Since being deep in thought, Eddie had failed to notice Rachel's presence hovering in the door frame. She was about to _leave_. But there was still something he wanted to say, in Eddie's eyes, the conversation wasn't over.

"Rachel wait," Eddie raised his voice slightly before coming up behind Rachel, slipping his hand over her wrist in an attempt to bring her back.

His pleading had worked, Rachel's body spun around on the spot so that it was facing Eddie's. Now was his chance.

"When can we talk Rachel? About _us_."

_Us. _One word with only two letters, but it still held the ability to sweep Rachel off her feet. The suggestion had well and truly taken her by surprise.

The room was so quiet that she could feel Eddie's heart beating, Rachel expected it to leap out of his chest at any given moment. Instinctively, her hand was placed across his chest, as if to calm him.

"If Philip is alright to sit with Isabelle for a little while, come to my house in about an hour. We can talk then."

If at all possible, Eddie fell in love with Rachel even more when she spoke her initial words.

_If Philip is alright to sit with Isabelle. _

Her focus was solely placed on her niece. To Rachel, _this _could wait if it meant Isabelle would be without company. This simple sentence only reinforced what Eddie already knew; Rachel was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

….

As Rachel's key turned in the lock, she found herself struck with disbelief thinking about the turn of events since last being in her home. Without Melissa, everything felt unusual. Despite all of her faults, she was Rachel's sister; Rachel would always love her unconditionally.

Stepping into her hallway, Rachel dumped her belongings at the foot of the stairs before making her way through to the living room. If she remembered rightfully, the remnants of her lunch were strewn across her coffee table - Rachel wasn't willing to leave her lounge in a mess, especially with Eddie's company arriving soon.

Something unpredictable had Rachel stopping in her tracks. Apparently, her sixth sense was working away rapidly, because Rachel was convinced of someone else's presence in her house.

"Hello?" She spoke apprehensively, eventually making an entrance into the room. The sight Rachel was met with almost had her jumping out of her skin. The person in question was strewn out across her sofa, simply tapping their foot and sipping on a glass of water.

"Hello _Rachel. _Fancy seeing you here."


	13. Chapter 13

_Hello everyone, a big thank you to Mrs Carmichael, faeftvanity, FaeMelody, Lynny, RachelMasonFan39 and Amelia0204 for leaving reviews on my last chapter. Also just a quick message for Lynny, don't worry about not reviewing, you don't need to apologise :) I appreciate your support with reading the story. _

_Hope you all enjoy this chapter x _

Christopher Fenshaw. The _perfect_ son. The _protective_ brother. At least that's how her parents had always seen him. Rachel's father had consistently longed for a boy, when he finally got one in Christopher, that was when he turned. Unfortunately, Graeme's little angel had followed in his dad's footsteps, objectively poking fun at his elder sisters with any given opportunity. Rachel left her home intending to never see her brother again, least of all now, perched unwelcome in her home.

"You should learn to close your windows, pretty textbook stuff sis. Thought you'd have known better, being a _headteacher _and all."

His words cut through Rachel like a knife, throwing her back into reality. Not only that, his obvious background knowledge about her unsettled Rachel drastically. What on earth did he want with her?

"What do you want Chris?" She sighed shakily, voicing her previous thoughts.

The man laughed harshly, leaning forward to place his empty glass on a nearby coffee table, "mum and dad filled me in. So Mel's dead? Your not so perfect little sidekick after all."

"Oh so she reconnected with her parents… so what Christopher? It's really none of my business."

"You've never been a good liar Mandy," he stood, walking towards Rachel, getting closer and not stopping. _Not stopping. _

"Stay away from me…" she spoke with a raised voice, momentarily taking a cautious step back.

It was too late. His right hand made a move for her jaw, squeezing it forcefully, in turn compelling her to make eye contact.

"Don't touch me, get out of my house!"

Rachel fought back with all her might, but her younger brother was stronger, more prominent. She could never win a battle against him, not then and certainly not now.

Apparently though, the worst was yet to come. With his free hand, Christopher juggled opening his inner coat pocket. Before long a shiny blade was brought well into view.

"Familiar?" He sneered slightly, inching the metal closer to Rachel's neck.

_A knife. _How could he do this? The truth was, this situation _was_ all too _familiar _for Rachel. It only backed up what she'd witnessed in her late teenage years; her younger sibling really had turned out to be a carbon copy of their father. This situation highlighted heaps of similarities with a resembling encounter Rachel had with Graeme numerous years ago. That event was ultimately her final _trigger_ for leaving, the _reason _for her tarnished past.

"Put down the knife Christopher," her voice was level, _calm_ almost. It painted a fake picture of everything going on inside Rachel's brain. Her inner state was far from any sort of equilibrium.

"Well how about you sit down, so we can have a little chat. Then I might think about it," the man tilted his head to the side, suggesting that Rachel should perch herself on a nearby chair.

The last thing she wanted to do was obey, give her brother exactly what he wanted. Although, pondering on the matter, what choice did she have? It was either that, or suffer the disastrous consequences. So biting her tongue, Rachel manoeuvred herself around Christopher, and almost fell into her sofa. An ounce of comfort was taken from the soft feel of the material against her forearm.

Whilst Christopher paced the room slightly, glancing at pictures, sticking his nose in where it wasn't wanted; Rachel took an opportunity to steal a glance at her watch. 9:50. 21:50. Whatever way she looked at it, Eddie was due in ten minutes, max. Her initial thought was of his safety, equally though, that was out of her hands. He was smart and calculated, hopefully he would recognise something unusual upon approaching the house.

Although, a hell of a lot could happen in ten minutes.

….

"It appears we've uncovered your little secret… mum, dad and me," venom coloured the man's tone as his frantic movement came to a standstill moments later, "did a little digging."

"Go on then, enlighten me," of course Rachel was far from clueless about their findings, it was fairly evident that her 'little secret' was her tainted past as a prostitute. There was no avoiding that, she had been expecting it.

"Lady of the night ring any bells?"

"Of course," Rachel shrugged, laughing along sarcastically.

"Always knew you were a tart."

"Just drop it Christopher, you know fine well I had no other choice."

On the surface, Rachel appeared unprovoked, not affected by her brother's presence. Realistically however, emotions were running high - his words _did _bother her, even if Chris was a part of Amanda Fenshaw's life and not Rachel Mason's.

"Dad said you had a fancy man with you, what's all that about then, one of your clients?" Christopher snickered, causing his words to cut that little bit deeper.

Momentarily, Rachel shot him a look which reinforced her earlier words along with 'he's just a friend' in the hope of her brother dropping the subject. The last thing she wanted was for Eddie to get even more wrapped up in her business than he already was.

….

As Eddie emerged from his vehicle, a bundle of nerves hit him at the sight of Rachel's house. A variety of memories came flooding back to him, the last time he was here in particular. The day Eddie had concluded the love of his life was lost for good.

But he had been wrong, Eddie knew that's what he had to focus on now as he approached Rachel's front door. Only when he was stood directly in front of it did Eddie notice the window set slightly ajar. If it wasn't for that, he wouldn't have experienced the raised voices that now seeped into his ears.

_I won't tell you again Christopher, just get out of my house. _

Christopher. Eddie was sure her brother held that name. What was he doing in Rachel's home, evidently uninvited?

_I don't think you should be making the demands round here big sis, I'm the one with the knife. _

The _knife_? Instantly, a tsunami of emotions crashed over Eddie. His first thoughts were of Rachel, and her safety. Perhaps selfishly, Eddie's heart broke at the idea of losing her so soon after being handed the potential of having her back. The man's first instinct was to make an entrance to the house, stop Christopher in his tracks. Thinking rationally though, that would only put the both of them in the line of fire, with no one else to help. Above all, that would risk Philip and Isabelle having _no one. _Of course, that was the worst case scenario, however, it had to be considered.

Hard to stomach but true, Eddie's first action had to be to call the police.

The last time Eddie had been as nervous making a phone call was just several hours ago, when his priority was to make contact with Rachel, inform her of heartbreaking news. This was different though, _her _life was now in the balance. Nothing was more important than that to Eddie, she would always be his first priority. Which was why, upon ending the call, he knew something more had to be done: Eddie's hand made contact with the door handle as he attempted to make an entry unnoticed. His fight or flight response had been tested, with Rachel, it would forever be fight.


	14. Chapter 14

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews on my last chapter, they really do mean a lot. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you guys think :)_

As Eddie glanced around the oh so familiar hallway, he couldn't help the heartwarming memories that seemed to flood over him, despite the alarming situation he had been pressed with. Apparently having succeeded in not drawing attention to himself, Eddie scanned the surface of a nearby cabinet, hoping to find something, anything, to defend himself and ultimately Rachel. His eyes eventually settled on a rectangular photo frame - initially, Eddie felt uneasy to consider utilising one of Rachel's much loved objects as a defence mechanism. At the end of the day though, he wanted to protect the woman first and foremost, and best case scenario, Eddie wouldn't require the item's assistance at all. Swiftly removing the enclosed picture so as not to damage it, the man glanced at it briefly before smoothing it out on the dark wooden surface. It was impossible to ignore the way his mind was captivated by not only Rachel's beauty in the photograph, but her radiating happiness also. He longed to make her that joyful, much like he once had.

The male voice of Christopher Fenshaw was the phenomenon to rip Eddie from his reverie. Shaking himself out of it, he concluded that now was not the time to dwell on such matters; Rachel's life was hanging in the balance, and the clock was ticking.

….

One sound Rachel would recognise anywhere, was her front door opening; no matter how quiet or discreet. Her mind couldn't comprehend how Christopher hadn't noted this slight noise, however she was certainly glad of his ignorance. Convincing herself she wasn't hearing things, as an alternative, Rachel began to ponder on who could be entering her home. Drawing her thoughts to a close, she considered that there was only one possible explanation: Eddie.

Rachel's initial instinct was to warn him, in any which way possible, given her current situation. What if he hadn't noted the differing atmosphere? How would this situation escalate, if Eddie simply entered her living room, presuming all was well?

Subsequent to these thoughts, the woman mentally told herself to get a grip. She hadn't heard a knock of any sorts, something which Eddie had always asserted himself to in the past. On top of this, his possible presence was eerily silent, as if he planned to time his entry just right. Added to her rationality, Rachel's earlier wonderings didn't fail to set in; this man was clever and calculated, a sensible strategy would have been decided in his mind, one way or another.

"How's that nephew of yours?" Christopher snarled, ripping and tearing Rachel's hope apart bit by bit. As well as his tone, it stuck in her throat to think her brother wasn't considering Philip as his nephew also. For Rachel, it truly highlighted the extent of this man's evil.

"He's your nephew too you know," she decided to prod Christopher slightly with her comments, in an attempt to provoke some sort of reaction. At the same time though, she was well aware of the continuous presence of the sharp blade, lingering a little too close to her leg.

"I want to see him," Christopher's tone was sharp, careless, and if possible, Rachel disliked him slightly more for it. She was more than positive, that his apparent willingness to meet Philip was an attempt to tear her world apart, rather than fix his own.

Inhaling significantly, Rachel somewhat composed herself, straightening her taut body before prizing her own lips open.

She wasn't given a chance to respond.

The door flung open, and presented both her, and Christopher with a rather disgruntled Eddie Lawson.

….

Eddie was well aware of his heartbeat thumping wildly in his chest, and the sweat lingering on his palms, making having a grip on his established weapon somewhat difficult. Seemingly though, this didn't stop his eyes from scanning the scenario playing out in front of him.

It was Christopher who happened to be directly in Eddie's line of sight, so it was decided his eyes would be set on Rachel's brother first of all. It was strange. When pondering on the man, Eddie had envisaged nothing more than a male version of Rachel in appearance. Now though, with reality intensified, the exact opposite was true.

Perhaps the only similarity being their hazel brown orbs, having the ability to draw anyone in at any given moment. Everything else differed, from hair colour to the stance of the two siblings, Eddie found it hard to pinpoint distinct relations.

Once again crashing him back down to the present day, the man in question's voice rang disconcertingly in Eddie's ears, "wow, you seem to be popular today sis ... or is this just, one of your clients?"

This caused Eddie to return to his pivotal focus: Rachel. Time was precious if he was going to pull her out of this unharmed, it was of the essence. Granted, Christopher's words had stung Eddie, however judging by the way Rachel's lips quivered in reaction, they had shaken her state to the core. Once again, present matters averted Eddie's mind to the past, and the man's harsh words allowed Eddie to contemplate a similar encounter with Stuart Hordley. Only one thing acted as a barrier for Eddie's actions to resemble those of that day with Stuart - the glistening piece of metal that was undoubtedly, a knife.

Catching Christopher unawares, and crucially, a step away from Rachel, Eddie knocked the man's right arm abruptly. Consequently, the object was shifted to the opposite end of the room; now leaving nothing in Eddie's way.

Almost momentarily, his fist collided with Christopher's cheekbone before the man even had a chance to respond to Eddie's prior actions. This knocked him for six, sending the brother tumbling downwards, before landing in a satisfied heap on the carpet. As if on cue, heavy footsteps were incoming, soon recognised as the police. Two officers charged at the perpetrator imminently, bringing the beginnings of new movement to a standstill. Whisked away in an instant, it seemed Christopher couldn't help but glare at his sister in the form of a threat, before stopping to spit in Eddie's direction, merely commenting "you'd better hope she's worth it, eh?"

It seemed the remaining officer had noted the intensifying atmosphere between the two adults as the room fell silent, since she muttered something to the effect of, "I'll give you some space. When you're ready to answer some questions Miss Mason, you'll have to head down to the station."

Rachel nodded her brief thanks in response, in turn shifting her gaze to Eddie's, and their eyes were entrapped for the first time following his arrival. Unconsciously settling the picture frame on his lap, Eddie returned his full focus to the woman in question. Her orbs envisaged a brewing storm: dark, billowing clouds of conflicted feelings, fighting their way through the wind that bombarded. A lone tear fell down Rachel's flushed cheek, only stopping at her jawline to gently drip off the edge. Hesitantly but meaningful, Eddie brought his right hand up to make contact with Rachel's tear stained cheek, in turn, brushing her cheekbone with the most tender care.

To his surprise, Eddie felt a hand spread across his own, before relishing in the skin on skin contact he so often craved. "Thank you Eddie," Rachel spoke in a whisper, mumblings barely audible, as she grazed her thumb over several of his knuckles. Upon fumbling in his brain for the right words to say, Eddie reckoned that no utterances were quite fitting in this moment, and believed his silent support was what Rachel currently desired. Later, the pair could delve into any area of discussion that took their fancy, presently though, each other was all they truly needed.

Shifting from her face, Eddie's hand manoeuvred towards Rachel's upper back, momentarily scooping her up in an embrace. She clung to him tighter than he'd imagined, hands curled perfectly around the collar of his jacket, Eddie in turn, grasping a sense of security in the fact she was now safe, in his arms.

Positions never shifting, it wasn't long before the comfortable silence was lifted by Rachel's considerate comments, "you should be getting back to the hospital Eddie. Isabelle, she - she needs you," stutter still lingering, her breaths were evidently shaky, which only reinforced Eddie's thought process leading to his next response.

"There's no way I'm leaving you Rachel. Never again."


	15. Chapter 15

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews, they mean a lot to me. _

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter... I think you might. :) x_

Rachel slowly brought her eyes up to meet Eddie's, and he noted the vulnerability and disbelief swimming in her hazel orbs. Also recognisable, was their newfound close proximity, and Eddie cursed himself for thinking how easy it would be to simply lean down and press a tender kiss to Rachel's lips. Nothing was that _simple. _

Despite the complexity of the situation, he found himself wondering if that thought had flashed through her mind too; judging by the slight gasp she succumbed to, Eddie guessed something of the sort had taken place. Aside from this, he didn't want to push it, and risk ruining what they had just reconciled. Rachel was worth so much more than that to Eddie.

"Eddie… I - I can't expect you to do that, Isabelle is your daughter," she spoke and in turn broke the intense yet electrifying silence.

"And you mean just as much to me as she does," eye contact was consistent throughout each word, which was the reason why Eddie became witness to the fresh layer of tears coating Rachel's lower lids. Before Eddie felt he could continue, he shakily brought a hand up in instinct, as a means of brushing the salty residue away. The brunette closed her eyes, not willing for this brief minute of contact to terminate. Sensing this, Eddie gently lowered his right hand to her back before voicing his next thoughts, "I let you walk away from me once, it was the biggest mistake of my life Rachel, it's something that I'll never forgive myself for. Which is why now, there's no chance I'm gonna let you push me away that easily," Eddie allowed his smile to resurface now, hoping Rachel would return the feature, and she did, with just as much meaning.

"That talk… about us, I agree with you, we need to have it," she spoke hushly, somewhat shy in Eddie's opinion. It made his heart melt with sheer adoration. Equally though, he didn't wish for Rachel to push herself into uncomfortable territory, especially given the harrowing events of recent hours.

Eddie's hand shifted smoothly towards Rachel's arm, giving it a light squeeze to highlight the importance of his upcoming words, "only if you're ready. Today has been… difficult Rachel, to say the least. I wouldn't blame you in any way, if it's something you're not quite ready to talk about."

If anything, for Rachel, these comments made her feel more inclined to open up about her real feelings, break down those walls that she had rebuilt so strongly. Eddie's abundance of care and consideration only reinforced Rachel's love for him that very much still remained. So shaking her head rather slowly, she began to reassure Eddie that _this _was the right time. The right time to reignite what they were once so fabulous at - _honesty. _

"These past few months without you Eddie, have been some of the loneliest times of my life. Without you… there was just this… this…"

"Hole?" Eddie interjected, perfectly relating to her thought process.

Upon realising the similarities, Rachel sprawled a hand across Eddie's - which still remained on her lower back - before manoeuvring their hands to settle in a seemingly righteous position on her lap. She nodded to confirm his questioning and received a soft smile in response. Eddie appreciated the signifying gesture enormously. It lit a fire of hope in the pit of his stomach, which began to spread dramatically; unwilling to come to a halt whilst in the presence of his one true love.

"Nothing was the same without you," the continuation of Rachel's prior comments was almost inaudible. This was when their gazes unlocked - her stare darted here there and everywhere; her eyes refusing to land in one spot, her mind refusing to believe she had just knocked one of her walls down.

"I haven't been coping without you either," Eddie admitted, all the while stroking a thumb across Rachel's knuckles. She gave his hand a loving squeeze, before stealing her body and mind for the inevitable. The yet to be spoken feelings. Words that had only been voiced once previous, in a time of heartbreak and unwanted goodbyes.

"I've hated not seeing you everyday," he conceded, wanting to stamp his prior words with sincerity, "it was the little things Rach. Not parking next to your car on a morning, not sharing a coffee over a break time natter. It's been driving me crazy, even without your shoes in the hallway, it's just seems wrong."

Just as Rachel was about to admit those words which held so much significance, Eddie managed to confirm them for her, "you're the love of my life Rachel, nothing can change that. I need you, and... I love you."

It was as if the whole world came to a standstill. In that moment, seemingly nothing existed aside from the presence of one another. Both parties were oblivious to time continuously ticking by as the woman leant into the man's chest, moulding her head into his shoulder perfectly.

"I still love you too Eddie, my feelings never subsided," Rachel reciprocated, in disbelief that she actually held the ability to form a coherent sentence.

She sensed his hand move upwards, and settle in her hair - gently brushing a stray strand out of Rachel's face, "I'm so glad to hear you say that," Eddie mumbled into the top of her head, before planting a firm kiss as a way of emphasising his gratitude. Being so close to Rachel, allowed Eddie to reaffirm every detail he loved - _loves_ \- so deeply. The particular scent drifting away from her hair, welcoming him with open arms. The way her body fit perfectly into his, the way his arm felt so natural around her waist. These were only several of the details Eddie had longed to experience in recent months. Now, to be living in the moment, felt utterly surreal - he had to bite his cheek slightly, just to make sure this was actually happening. Rachel's hand travelling across his chest to meet his face and caress it, was exactly what Eddie needed to know that this _was _happening, this _was _real.

Following on from her gesture, Rachel repositioned herself slightly so that a clear line of eye contact could be made, "what with… Melissa," Eddie noted Rachel's voice breaking up slightly at the mention of her sister's name, and held her that little bit tighter; just to remind her that he was here for her now, she didn't have to bottle all of her emotions up anymore. She inhaled shakily before continuing, drinking in every ounce of Eddie's support, "I can't help feeling like I'm betraying her in a way. She hated me for loving you."

The second Rachel's sentence concluded, Eddie felt his heart ripping into a thousand shreds. For him, her insecurities had been heightened dramatically, and it made him feel sick to the stomach with guilt that Rachel had been going through all this _alone_. Without his support. Eddie quickly realised that he couldn't think like that, he was here now, in her presence - that was what mattered most.

"That's not true Rach. She didn't hate you…" before continuing, Eddie assessed the pros and cons of admitting the next part: would it make Rachel feel better or worse? He wasn't sure, but he had to give it a chance, "we were in contact, you know, because of Isabelle. I went to the odd scan with her, that sort of thing. In recent weeks, she mentioned about getting back in touch with you, sorting things out. She didn't hate you Rach."

Contrasting emotions coursed through Rachel's body in an instant: joy that her younger sister hadn't died hating her, regret that she hadn't personally got back in touch with Melissa. These emotions threatened to bubble up and overflow, before they were diffused by a squeeze of her hand from Eddie that brought her back to reality.

"She didn't?" Was all Rachel seemed to manage, reassurance was something she needed in abundance. Even after Eddie's prior comments, she had to be sure, to be _certain_ before piling those emotions away, storing them in a box.

"No," he whispered in reply, glad to see the glint in Rachel's eye slowly returning.

Suddenly realising the absence of her thanks, Rachel pulled herself out of the thoughts she was wrapped up in, momentarily locking her eyes with Eddie's once more, "I… I can't thank you enough Eddie. For what you did earlier. I dread to think what Christopher would have done if you hadn't walked through that door."

"It's not worth thinking about Rachel," Eddie responded upon noting the change in Rachel's tone, the grey cloud that seemed to settle above her head. Her breathing was uneven, ragged, and a single thought seemed to electrify his body.

"Are you going to be alright, on your own tonight?" Eddie queried, already knowing the answer and the major possibility that Rachel would conceal the truth.

"I… yes…" she looked away, before mentally readjusting her brain, remembering the promise of honesty that had occurred, "not really, no."

"Then let me stay," he ran his hand up and down Rachel's arm to show his support, his genuine want to be there to care for her, "I'll sleep in the spare room, and I'll give Phil a call, ask him if he wants me to pick him up, or if he wants to stay put. Just let me look after you Rachel."

Admiration ran through Rachel's body like a river. She wasn't quite sure what she had done to deserve this reconciliation with Eddie, to have this wonderful man right in front of her eyes, willing to care for her no matter what. All she good do was thank whatever force that had allowed this to happen.

Bringing herself back to Eddie's proposition, Rachel nodded firmly, as if accepting his offer, "thank you Eddie. You're amazing, do you know that?"

"You're the amazing one around here," he replied, along with that perfect grin Rachel had missed so fondly, "you go get some sleep Rach, you certainly need it."

As if aligning with his words, Rachel succumbed to tiredness and stifled a yawn before standing to turn to Eddie.

"Night night Eddie," she leant down, planting a soft but meaningful kiss on his cheek.

In turn, she pulled away reluctantly, pushing down her ever growing want and desire for him.

"Night Rachel," he reciprocated, sharing a smile with the brunette before watching her stroll out of the living room. A satisfied sigh escaped Eddie's lips - finally he was back where he should have always been, side by side with Rachel. Present to assist with fighting any battles. Now that they were reunited, nothing could break them apart. Eddie and Rachel would resurface stronger than ever.


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi everyone, thank you so much to those who left reviews, and to anyone else still reading. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x_

Fumbling around for her phone and eventually discovering it on her bedside table, Rachel glanced at the time and quickly realised she had endured a lengthy lie in. It was 10:30 already; had she really been that mentally and physically exhausted? As if on cue the events and memories of the previous day crashed over Rachel, and even now, she found them hard to comprehend. Every emotion in the world had found itself on her doorstep yesterday, from the death of her sister to rekindling with Eddie, a turmoil of feelings had been experienced.

Thinking of Eddie, it was then she remembered. He had offered to stay over, to sleep in the spare room. Despite everything, Rachel couldn't fend off the smile tugging on her lips at the mere thought of Eddie being just down the corridor, or pottering around in her living room downstairs. Swinging her legs to the left to stand, Rachel wrapped her purple gown around her waist before emerging from the bedroom. As she made her way down the staircase, Rachel recognised the smells seeping into her senses as bacon and eggs - another thing which took her back to the abundance of fantastic times she had shared with Eddie, one of those being his kind nature and consistently making breakfast for her. Now faced with that possibility again, Rachel allowed any underlying tension to ease out of her body as she came face to face with the kitchen door, before making an entrance.

The sight that met her eyes caused Rachel's heart to soar - Eddie's gentle humming was only just audible over the music from the nearby radio. With his back to Rachel, Eddie was just shutting the oven, checking on the bacon to ensure that he wasn't overdoing it with the cooking. Seeing an opportunity, Rachel approached the man as silently as possible, before placing one hand on his upper back and mentioning her gratitude, "this looks lovely Eddie."

His gaze flicked to the left unexpectedly, drinking in the presence of the woman beside him. Eddie's grin widened slightly, prior to his reply, "good sleep?" he queried, gesturing to the circular clock resting on the wall.

Rachel broke her stare, focussing on her bare feet and toenails painted a deep burgundy shade, "it took me a while to get off," she responded, expression turning slightly more serious as she reconsidered just _how_ long it had taken her to drift off, and more importantly, _why. _

Flicking the switch on the oven so that the temperature was suitably low, Eddie placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder, encouraging her to take a seat at the breakfast bar.

"How're you doing?" he questioned lightly after taking a seat opposite Rachel.

Her eyes finally met his upon noting Eddie's slight intonation. She considering dodging his concern, brushing it under the carpet much like several other instances in her life. _No, _Rachel forced herself to think, shaking herself out of this current mindset. Last night, her and Eddie had vowed to be honest with one another - she couldn't break that promise. And besides, if Rachel was going to open up to anyone, it would be Eddie; she trusted him, she was almost certain that he would be able to settle her negative thoughts.

"Every time I went to shut my eyes…" she began, voice evidently shaky, to which Eddie responded with a look of encouragement, "all I could see was Melissa, her body, lying there, not moving, not breathing. I just hate to think she's gone Eddie, you know, we weren't even that close anymore, but somehow that heightens my current feelings. I just can't bare it Eddie, I can't…"

Recognising Rachel's state as being on the verge of tears, Eddie instinctively made a move to her side of the table and wrapped his arms around her, hoping to alleviate any of the distress she was obviously enduring.

"It might seem tough now Rach, but it'll get better, I promise. Together, we'll get through this. Okay?"

Nuzzled into his neck, Rachel's head let out a slight nod, indicating her agreement. _Together. _Somehow, Eddie's use of that word melted away a fraction of her worry. He was right, this would be far from easy, but _together, with _Eddie, not without him; getting over this catastrophe was a possibility, rather than a mere aspiration.

"Thank you Eddie," she spoke, barely above a whisper as her upper body emerged from its previous position. Only then, as her and Eddie exchanged a weak but meaningful smile, did Rachel recognise a second presence now known to the room.

"Philip," Rachel instantly stood, making a move towards her nephew, "I didn't realise you were here."

"Yeh," Philip remarked, fumbling with the sleeve of his jumper, "Eddie collected me about an hour ago, gonna go back for Isabelle in a bit."

Rachel nodded, consolidating this new information, "you like her name then?" she spoke, breaking the brief silence that had elapsed.

"Yeh I…" the boy shuffled slightly, obviously wanting to continue but unsure of how to place his words. Rachel tilted her head slightly, hoping to alleviate any uncertainty. Apparently, she succeeded - shortly after her slight gesture, Phil proceeded with his comments, "I'm glad… that Eddie chose to give her your name, as a middle one I mean."

Any remnants of heartache seemed to temporarily disappear upon hearing Philip's sincere words. Sharing a glance with Eddie, Rachel's heart melted that little bit further - the look of compassion and admiration stretched across his features was unmissable. Turning to Philip to offer her thanks in a smile, Rachel proceeded with a more pressing matter.

"And how are you doing Philip? Hm… truthfully?" she queried, taking a small step towards her nephew.

"Erm… better than yesterday," Philip settled on, shuffling away from his aunt slightly and making a move for the door.

"Philip," Rachel began, in turn causing the boy to shift his feet back to her, "if you ever want to talk about it, you know where I am. You don't have to bottle it all up you know."

"Yeh…" he responded, following back to his prior movements, "thanks Rach. Gonna go… get a shower now."

Upon hearing the boy's footsteps vanish up the staircase, Rachel turned back to Eddie, previous worry and concern more than evident.

"He'll be alright Rach. He just needs time, like all of us," Eddie comforted, stepping marginally closer to Rachel and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I know Eddie, I just worry about him. I don't want him to feel as if, he has to keep all of his feelings to himself."

Eddie nodded in agreement, before aspiring to ease any desperation Rachel was currently feeling, "sounds like someone else I know," he chuckled, referring to Rachel herself.

"Hmm," she sounded her agreement, allowing a smile to tug at her lips in amusement, "is this breakfast ready? Smells delicious," she commented, wanting to change the subject to something less complex.

"Absolutely," Eddie grinned, turning his attention to the bacon in the oven.

….

"Are you coming to collect Isabelle mate?" Eddie voiced up the stairs, roughly an hour later, considering Philip hadn't appeared since his earlier conversation with Rachel.

In response to Eddie's question, the boy's presence was made known as he bounded down the stairs, looking a little more relaxed than he did earlier, to Eddie's delight.

"You ready?" Eddie queried, placing a hand across Phil's shoulder.

"Yeh," he replied, instantly grabbing his shoes from the floor.

"I'll just go have a word with Rachel," Eddie commented, leaving Philip to lace up his trainers.

"Hi, you off to get Isabelle?" Rachel asked, instinctively responding to Eddie's existence in her living room.

"Yeh," he grinned slightly, allowing his joy at collecting his daughter to become evident, "listen," Eddie shifted his tone, hoping to portray his sincerity, "do you want to come? I'd like you to be there."

Rachel's lips parted slightly in surprise, not entirely sure how to respond. Delight was the initial feeling to overcome her, which signaled she could respond with nothing other than, "yes, of course I'll come."

Following Eddie out into her hallway, Rachel paused momentarily upon hearing the sharp ring of her house phone. Her brow furrowed in confusion before picking it up, it was rare for Rachel to receive landline calls, if she needed to be contacted, it would generally be through her mobile.

"Hello…"

Eddie shifted his position closer to Rachel after noticing her demeanour completely change, he meant what he said, he wanted to be there for her throughout everything. Which was why, the faint sound of the other person involved in the conversation could be heard.

"_Is that Rachel Mason speaking?"_

"Yes, can I help you?"

"_Hi Rachel, I'm PC Scarlett May, from Rochdale police station… I've got your mother here with me, Susan Fenshaw. She has obtained some rather extensive injuries, and she wants to see you before proceeding to the hospital. I was just wondering if it was possible for you to make your way to the station?"_


	17. Chapter 17

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the reviews._

_This is quite a lengthy paragraph, so I'm hoping that'll make up for my delay in updating:) _

_Hope you guys enjoy it x_

As soon as the phone was removed from Rachel's ear, Eddie witnessed her facade slowly drop, and he sensed her mind was creeping into overdrive. Hoping Rachel would allow him to comfort her, Eddie stepped closer, recognising the abundance of thoughts that were undoubtedly bombarding her brain.

"Come on Rach, lets go," he commented, squeezing her shoulder slightly in reassurance.

As much as Eddie longed for Rachel to accept his support, it came as no surprise to him when the walls surrounding her demeanour were instantly rebuilt.

"Eddie…" Rachel stepped away from his touch, turning around so that the pair were face to face, "I really do appreciate your support, I can't thank you enough for everything," the vulnerability in her tone didn't go amiss, and Eddie pepared himself mentally to persuade Rachel against her upcoming comments.

Rachel's gaze was averted as she grabbed her coat before heading to the door - the whole time though, Eddie was in anticipation of her final words.

"You should go and get Isabelle now, really I'll be fine," a smile was plastered across her lips, but of course a gesture to that effect would never fool Eddie. Instinctively, he closed the gap between them once more, and reached out to Rachel's wrist slightly.

With the desired effect, their eyes met once more, and Eddie knew he had done the right thing in not allowing her to walk away. Her hazel orbs were overflowing with concern and panic, something which he would never intentionally diacard.

"I'm not letting you handle this alone Rachel. We'll drive to the police station, sort things out with your mum, and then go to collect Isabelle after. Okay?"

Eddie looked on as she forced her lids shut, and he knew that she didn't intend to open them before responding. The signals that Rachel was portraying, told Eddie that she wanted nothing more than to let him in, although it was clear that something was holding her back. It was the same something which kickstarted the conclusive heartbreak in both their lives - Rachel wasn't willing to put herself before anyone, especially if that concerned family. It infuriated Eddie, that she could never be selfish; despite this though, it's one of the many reasons why he loves her. Of course, because of that, Eddie was willing to do everything in his power to help Rachel follow her heart and not her head for once.

"Look Eddie, please… I've already, limited your time with her…"

"Rachel," Eddie stated, interjecting her thought process, "are you forgetting everything we spoke about last night?"

Judging by the way Rachel's eyes flickered open and then shut once more, Eddie reckoned that he was getting somewhere. Just as he was about to resume his coercion, Philip's presence was once again made known.

"Look, erm… you guys go, to the police station I mean," the boy shuffled nervously before continuing, obviously praying his input would succeed. It was clear to Eddie that Philip cared for his aunt's well being just as much as he did, "I'll get a taxi to the hospital, sit with Isabelle, till you guys are done," he paused, switching his stare between the two adults, "see, problem solved."

In Eddie's mind, it was a more than reasonable solution. Although, affirming his attention back to Rachel, he worried if it would be enough. Taking this into account, Eddie voiced his own opinion once more, hoping that would emphasise the words spoken by Philip just seconds ago.

"Let me come with you Rach. Besides, it'll be good for Phil to spend some more time with his sister."

As Rachel glanced at Philip, Eddie gathered that she was looking for some form of reassurance in her nephew. Taking a look at the boy, Eddie was overjoyed that Philip seemed to offer just that. His mouth formed into a crooked smile, followed with a nod which managed to dispel Rachel's concern.

"Ok, fine, yes that's what we'll do. Thank you Philip," Rachel stuttered, in turn focusing her attention on fastening her coat up, "if we're any longer than say, an hour Eddie, you can go though, alright?"

Although it wasn't the full response Eddie was longing for, Rachel had started to let him back in once more; something which Eddie would never take for granted after the recent months they had spent apart. So grabbing his own jacket, Eddie muttered his thanks towards Phil and followed Rachel as she made her way out of the house.

….

Taking a seat in the car, Rachel began to consider basic matters such as whether or not she should put the radio on. After Eddie had persuaded her that she was in no fit state to drive, Rachel wanted to find something else to pinpoint her attention on. She would try anything, as long as she could avoid the negative string of thoughts that seemed to be imploding in her mind. Deciding against the music, Rachel turned her attention to Eddie and how incredibly grateful she was for his presence and support. Even though she didn't show it, Rachel needed him more than anything right now; it just took a lot to put her own feelings first for once. It was something she certainly wasn't accustomed to, in fact it was a foreign feeling that put Rachel miles away from known territory.

She was well aware of Eddie's fleeting glances directed at her throughout the journey, and it made Rachel smile internally. Seemingly, his gestures were enough to quieten the realms of possibilities posed by the police woman's phone call.

Rachel's relationship with her mother had become rather strained over the years; one of the most prominent reasons for this was the way Susan lacked involvement when Rachel's father had his outbursts. At the time, it was something Rachel deemed as unforgivable. How could a mother not yearn to protect her own daughter? Now though, witnessing both Graeme and Christopher's actions as a grown woman, Rachel could see exactly how vulnerable and conflicted Susan must have felt. With this thought in mind, and the way her mother hinted at jumping to her defence yesterday, Rachel couldn't help but consider the possibilities of Graeme's violence towards Susan. The thought sickened her, equally though, if true, perhaps her and Susan could reconcile, since Rachel would be aware of the extent that her father would go to.

During her childhood and admittedly difficult upbringing, Rachel hadn't contemplated that Graeme was likely to be violent towards Susan as well as herself. Whether that was due to his gentility towards Melissa at the time, or her sheer naivety as a teenage girl, Rachel wasn't sure. Looking back now though, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to gather together and stick to one another like glue: her mother had been frightened of her own husband, and as a result, she felt unable to protect her daughters.

As Eddie's voice cut through her ever growing thought process, Rachel found herself extremely glad that she had not been driving. The ten minutes in the car had flown by, and it seemed that Rachel had been in her own world of possibilities for the majority of it.

"We're at the police station Rach," he spoke softly, and Rachel presumed this was in an attempt not to startle her. No doubt she was currently portraying her inner musings perfectly through her facial expressions.

She responded with a weak smile, not even daring herself to speak, for fear of what she might say. Wanting to relieve the intense atmosphere from their surroundings, Rachel aimed to lighten the mood in a roundabout way, "feels a bit like dé ja vu don't you think?"

Instantly, Eddie's features slackened, and his gaze shifted from one of concern and worry, to a far more relaxed tone, "how do you mean?" He chuckled slightly, apparently wanting to prolong this easy-going aura.

"Well, what I mean is, it feels like we went through all this yesterday, what with visiting my parents. You comforting me, whilst I teeter on the edge of no return,"

Rachel's own words shocked her; had she really just admitted her current feelings so openly? Of course, she was aware it was in a fairly light hearted way, but to her, it was all the same; Rachel was just glad that Eddie was breaking those walls back down. It was something which he had expertise in.

Another cacophony of laughter escaped Eddie's mouth before his demeanour turned into a tone which radiated with love and care.

"I don't mind at all you know, being here to comfort you and support you. Like I've said, I want to Rachel, I'm not gonna let you get away easily this time," his voice remained steady, and serious, right up until the last sentence, where Rachel was aware of the humorous side to Eddie creeping in. She was glad of that. Not for the first time in the last 18 hours, Rachel recognised that his ability to read her like a book had not been lost. It was obvious that he sensed her need for a meaningful yet light hearted conversation, and it's another thing that she loves him for.

Expressing her views in the best way possible, she stretched a hand out to his knee and initiated contact, before commenting, "thank you Eddie. I really do appreciate it."

Seeing that as their cue, the pair exchanged reassuring smiles before making their way into the station. Both adults prolonged the close proximity, not wanting to miss a moment of contact, and at the same time wanting to portray their need for each other. In fact, they were so close that their fingers held the ability to brush with every step that they took.

….

Aside from the circumstances, the contact which Rachel initiated in the car sent sparks of hope running through Eddie's body. It seemed to be a recurring feeling since their heart to heart the previous evening. Although, that simple gesture from Rachel seemed to clarify the knowledge that Eddie had already gathered. Which was why now, after witnessing Rachel tense up on entering the station, he felt able to wrap his arm around her middle for a moment, muttering reassurances into her ear. Upon noting the way her body melted into his for a split second, and how she now seemed to hold a slither of relaxation, Eddie was more than glad he had pushed his uncertainty to the side, and went ahead with his instincts.

As they approached the desk, words were exchanged between Rachel and the officer; for Eddie though, those utterances were unclear. He was too busy examining Rachel's every move and facial expression - Eddie was searching for any hallmarks of concern or anxiety, he wanted to be able to lift those as effectively as possible.

With being wrapped up in his thoughts, it wasn't long before Eddie and Rachel we entering a box-shaped room. And there she was; Susan Fenshaw. A woman who Eddie saw as vibrant and confident after yesterday's visit, now appeared lifeless. To put it simply, she was unrecognisable. Bruises scattered the skin which was visible, and Eddie didn't dare to wonder what kind of injuries lay below the material. Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie witnessed Rachel succumb to a shudder. His instinct was to reach out to her, to envelope Rachel in his arms and never let her go. That wasn't a possibility though, what with an officer and Rachel's mum present in the room, Eddie gathered that Rachel wouldn't want to pose a fuss. Instead, hidden by their winter coats, he interlocked his fingers with Rachel's, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Amand… I'm sorry," Susan spoke softly, recognising her slight mistake before correcting herself, "Rachel. I didn't think you'd come."

Glancing at Rachel, Eddie guessed she was both mentally and physically preparing herself for this upcoming conversation. It was evident in the way she blinked extensively, presumably fighting off tears. Allowing her to step forward, Eddie offered her hand one final squeeze, which was received by Rachel with a similar gesture.

"Who did this to you mum, hm?" Rachel queried, taking a seat next to where her mother was currently perched.

"I'm not telling the police, we need to talk in private," Susan's gaze was darting rapidly around the room, switching between Eddie and the female officer. Eddie himself gathered that his own presence unnerved her, and that made him feel extremely conflicted. Of course, he wanted to be there for Rachel, to help her through any imminent hurdles. Despite this though, Eddie wanted Susan to open up to her daughter, he longed for the two relations to reach out to one another. Witnessing the scene in front of him now, it was a phenomenon that would do both adults the world of good.

Wrapped up in his incompatible emotions; initially, Eddie didn't notice the words that were beginning to spill out of Rachel's mouth. When he did though, it was a statement that both melted his heart, and ignited his faith to an enormous extent.

"Look mum, we'll get out of here soon, okay? Eddie though, I would like him to stay. You can trust him, I certainly do. With my life in fact."


	18. Chapter 18

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the lovely reviews, I am glad you guys are liking this story. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x_

_I'm not telling the police, we need to talk in private. _Susan's words rang in Rachel's ears on a loop, it almost seemed to reiterate her earlier suspicions. What Rachel had detected in her mother's voice was fear, and most of all, a distinct tone which suggested she had been manipulated. Only one person associated with her mother could provoke that reaction, and there was no doubt in Rachel's mind that it was her father. For a start, she gathered from past experience with Graeme that he held an exploitative personality, if anyone was going to force Susan to keep her mouth shut, it was him.

Walking out of the station, Susan seemed to be on edge, anxiousness was spilling out from every fibre of her being. Focusing on her expression, Rachel concluded that her mother was expecting to see Graeme waiting for her, and with that, Rachel herself couldn't be more content with Eddie's presence. The warmth of his hand resting on her back was enough to heighten Rachel's reassurance, he was someone Rachel had always put her full trust in, and that wasn't about to differ now.

"Eddie - ''

Rachel turned around to face him, whilst simultaneously focusing her peripheral vision on her mother.

"We'll go back to my place, after taking Susan to the hospital. As long as she feels comfortable doing that."

Allowing Eddie's words to wash over her, Rachel smiled internally at how quickly he had picked up on her trail of thought. Of course, it seemed to be something crossing her mind almost 24/7, but that just seemed to prove how astonishing his abilities were.

"Thank you Eddie," Rachel spoke sincerely, pleasantly surprised at how level and calm her voice was, considering the whirlwind of emotions present in her body, "I mean that, you've done an awful lot for me this past day."

Listening to Rachel now, sparks of hope began to fly around in Eddie's being upon reassessing her earlier words. Prior to Rachel's comment, Eddie had faith that her trust in him was still evident. Despite this, doubt which seemed to swim around in his brain constantly had threatened to surface, and hearing Rachel speak that all important truth, was the only thing to push that uncertainty back to its righteous place. In fact, the look she was giving him now almost caused Eddie's worries to evaporate completely; reuniting with Rachel was something he would forever be thankful for, no matter the horrific circumstances. The pair had been given a second shot at expressing their true feelings, Eddie wasn't about to discard that unexpected yet welcomed phenomenon.

"You'll be sick of me saying this, but you don't have to thank me. I'm just glad I'm here for you, and that you're letting me in."

Eddie's hand which landed on her upper arm following his words, had Rachel questioning what was behind that gesture. As his palm moved down her arm, across the now seemingly thin material of her coat, Rachel's curiosity only deepened. Could it be that it was a gesture of support, a consolidation of their friendship? The undeniable sparks which seemed to shoot up from Rachel's fingertips to her shoulder as Eddie grasped her hand told Rachel otherwise - this was more than reassurance. This contact in particular was reconciling all of the feelings that never really evaporated: love, desire, their never ending _need_ for one another. These thoughts thrashing through Rachel's mind like wildfire, were only emphasised by last night's conversation. _You're the love of my life Rachel. I love you, and I need you. _Those comments alone added a humongous amount of fuel to that blaze, and she doubted that it would come to a halt anytime soon.

Squeezing his hand slightly, Rachel responded to Eddie's heartfelt words, "let's just say that, I really do appreciate it."

Currently perched in the backseat of Rachel's car, Susan wondered what was taking the pair so long. As she took a glance out of the window, the elder woman found herself not particularly minding the slight wait. Although she had apprehension upon seeing Eddie, he seemed to be good for Rachel, he was certainly giving her more support that she herself ever had. With that thought, tears threatened to form in Susan's eyes, she figured that she would never forgive herself for allowing Graeme's abuse to elongate. Perhaps if she had stepped in, contact with Rachel would never have been lost in the first place.

Yesterday, Susan had made several feeble attempts to intervene during Rachel's visit. Up until this day, she felt disgusted at the way her husband spoke to his own daughter; Susan had just never quite found the confidence to confront him about it. And it seemed that once Rachel had departed, listening to Graeme groan on about how much of a failure his eldest daughter was, a switch had been flicked. Why had she allowed her husband to behave like this? What had she ever seen in him? And so it began, the apparently never ending spiral of events leading to her assault.

Blinking back the salty residue, Susan shook herself out of it - now was not the time to ponder on the ifs and buts, she had to make it up to Rachel, make her understand, allow her time to heal and forgive. Just as she was placing together her plan to do exactly that, Rachel and Eddie entered the vehicle, the woman turning briefly to offer a smile to Susan, which she instinctively accepted, and briefly reciprocated.

"It'll be alright mum, we'll sort this. Let us take you to the hospital first though, okay?" Rachel commented, glancing at her mother through the wing mirror.

Tears emerging once more upon hearing her daughter's kind words, Susan managed a simple nod, before Rachel ignited the engine in a split second.

Strangely enough, out of all the thoughts floating around Susan's head in that moment, one seemed to stick out. This was the first time she had been in a car with Rachel, the first time she had even seen her drive. This musing saddened the elder woman deeply; she had missed out on precious time with her firstborn daughter that she would never get back. Reiterating her earlier actions, Susan snapped out of it. The present time was about making up for that lost communication, not yearning for the days they had never spent together.

So sitting back in her seat, a sigh emanated from Susan's lips as she glanced between the two other adults present. Replacing her slight forlorn expression, a faint smile tugged on her lips as she saw both a verbal and physical exchange break out between the pair. It was limited due to Rachel's current priority of driving, but the intentions were clear. To Susan, Eddie and Rachel were in love with one another. Even after spending years apart from her daughter, Susan gathered that it must be a mother's instinct.

….

Reaching the hospital, the trio emerged from Rachel's car and began to make their way into the building. As soon as the main doors came into view, Eddie sensed Rachel's whole demeanour stiffen, and he gathered flashbacks of the previous day spent here were rather imminent in her brain. Resisting the urge to wrap his arms around her and never let go, Eddie made eye contact with Rachel, hoping to portray his inner thoughts through his hazel orbs. As he received a brief smile in response, Eddie was satisfied that his look of love and affection was enough to reassure her.

Just as they arrived at reception, Rachel shifted her focus to Susan, and assessed her current state. Before long though, Eddie's eyes met hers once more, except now several words were communicated.

"Eddie, why don't you go find - ''

Pinpointing exactly what Rachel was about to say, Eddie forced himself not to sigh externally. It was evident that she was attempting to get him to go and see Isabelle, to find her and Philip who would also be in the hospital. He knew that Rachel was stubborn, and Eddie had accepted that; he just wished she would believe everything he was saying. Eddie wanted to be there for her, there was no way he was going to let her walk away so soon after he'd got her back.

"Rach, I know what you're gonna say, and the answer is no. I'm staying with you, exactly where I should've been for the past 3 months."

Looking on at the situation unfolding in front of her, Susan's earlier wondering was brought back into question. Or more so, it was answered. The way Eddie shortened Rachel's name to Rach, the way he was willing to be at her side with every passing moment. He cared about her deeply, and it was clear the pair had history, Susan just wasn't quite sure what. Listening to Rachel's response though, the elder woman hoped to find out, she aspired to be there for her daughter, to make up for the time lost. Hard to stomach however true, that was only going to be if Rachel would let her.

"I'm sorry Eddie," a whisper escaped Rachel's lips, which was almost inaudible to Eddie.

"Hey," he responded gently, bringing a hand up to her shoulder, "you've got nothing to apologise for, you've done nothing wrong Rachel, nothing," Eddie voiced his exact thoughts, using his free hand to discard the few tears on Rachel's cheeks.

Smiling to indicate she was pulling herself together, Rachel found the temptation of simply falling into Eddie's arms hard to resist. Instead, she sought comfort in the soft feel of his left hand on her cheek, or the warmth of his right one on her shoulder. Remembering the rather prominent presence of her mother, Rachel decided to focus her attention on her, and finding out exactly what had gone on.

"Come on mum," Rachel began, hesitating before wrapping an arm round the elder woman, "let's get you seen to then we can sort this mess out, alright?"

Seemingly frozen in the moment, Susan took a few seconds to drink in her daughter's features, seeing stark resemblances with her own expressions. Finalising her thoughts, Susan brought a hand up to Rachel's cheek and brushed her skin with her thumb tenderly.

"Thank you darling. I'm so so sorry, please forgive me. I never meant for any of this to happen."

By now Susan had broken down completely, sobs escaping her lips by the second. A piece of Rachel's heart seemed to break away upon noting her mother's meltdown. As an instinctive reaction, she wrapped her arms around Susan, and breathed in her scent, hoping the reassurances that she was mumbling were effective. Rachel doubted that she could ever _fully _forgive her mother. She couldn't help but think how different her life could've been if Susan had informed the police of Graeme's abuse or if she had intervened. From experience though, Rachel knew that dwelling on past occurrences wouldn't do any good, and she concluded that she could exonerate her mother's lack of defence enough to build up a relationship with her. Deep down, it was something Rachel had always longed for, and now that she was presented with that chance, she wasn't about to let it slip away.

Watching all this play out across Rachel's expressions, Eddie allowed himself to smile briefly. In the midst of their relationship, Rachel had confided her true feelings surrounding Susan and that motherly influence she never really grasped. Knowing it was something Rachel would want to progress, Eddie was glad to hear the sincerity etched within Susan's apology. It was clear that the elder woman regretted her past actions, perhaps much like Eddie felt remorse over his mistakes. And now, similar to himself, Susan seemed willing to support for Rachel every step of the way.


	19. Chapter 19

_Hi everyone, thank you so much for the reviews. _

_Please enjoy this chapter :) x_

Susan's injuries weren't as damaging as first anticipated. She had endured broken ribs, a fractured wrist and as well as this, an abundance of bruises. Rachel hoped that now, her mum would feel willing to open up about the whole situation, including who did this to her; although Rachel did already have an inkling.

"Philip and Isabelle will be back at my house now, he texted to say the family liaison officer dropped them home, what with the circumstances. So in terms of where to go next, Eddie's offered his place. Will that be alright with you mum?"

Rachel posed this all important question as soon as the trio were settled back in her car. She had already guessed that Susan was feeling comfortable around Eddie now, but equally, she didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"Isabelle?" her mum simply responded, with a brief smile on her face.

"Oh of course, sorry. That's Melissa's baby's name, I mentioned it earlier," Rachel said, unsure of her next comment, although certain it had to be said sooner or later, "Eddie… he's the dad."

As expected, Susan's gaze flicked dramatically towards Eddie, as if searching for some form of answer. This action had Rachel wondering if her mum had presumed her and Eddie as being together.

"We… we weren't together though. Hadn't been for a while," Eddie elaborated, causing Susan's gaze to soften slightly.

The way Eddie stumbled on his words slightly, only emphasised Rachel's earlier thought. Eddie had noticed it too: her mother had obviously picked up something.

Realising that Susan hadn't yet given an answer to the prominent question, Rachel repeated herself, "so is it alright? You know, to go to Eddie's?"

"Oh yes, that'll be fine. Sorry dear."

Turning to the steering wheel after accepting her mother's apology with a smile, Rachel and Eddie shared a look. Their expressions said it all; both parties were just glad to have each other throughout all of this.

An unusually comfortable silence elapsed as Rachel began to drive. With Eddie, things were never awkward. With her mother in the car though, Rachel had expected the whole dynamic to change. It seemed it was right for all three adults to have a few moments to themselves. After all, a whole spiral of events had occurred in the past day.

Rachel had a clear view of Susan in her mirrors, so very much anticipated her speech. What she didn't predict however, was the question itself.

"Do you think I could meet them, Philip and Isabelle I mean?"

Although the comment was directed at Rachel, she concluded that it wasn't her place to decide at all. Even though she was Isabelle's aunt, Eddie was her father - so surely, he should have the final say. As for Philip, he's almost an adult, hence there was no way that Rachel was prepared to answer for him.

Using her peripheral vision, Rachel could feel Eddie's eyes almost burning a hole in the side of her head. She found herself wondering what he was thinking, how he was feeling about this whole situation. Rachel wished they had more time with one another, to truly discuss how they were feeling about this scenario. She wasn't selfish though, far from it; the needs of Philip, Isabelle and Susan had to come first. In Rachel's mind, her own were currently irrelevant.

"I don't mind Rach, she's her grandmother."

Of _course_ Eddie would know exactly what she was thinking in that moment, Rachel should have seen that coming. But her mind was focusing on something else altogether: the way he leant forwards to whisper in her ear, causing her to shiver slightly as a result of his breath. Or more significantly, the way Eddie's hand rested on her knee in reassurance. His touch seemed to melt away the material of her jeans completely. These thoughts were the only thing swimming around in Rachel's mind, causing her knowledge of everything else to become cloudy.

This wasn't about her, she had to focus on her mum and Isabelle.

Flashing Eddie a grateful smile, and attempting to ignore the way his hand effortlessly slipped off her knee, Rachel turned her attention to Susan.

"You can meet Isabelle for definite. I'll have to speak to Philip though, I'm not sure how he'll be feeling about the whole situation. He's still very much recovering from the events of yesterday."

"Yes that's… understandable," Susan replied, an odd mixture of disappointment and understanding in her gaze.

….

As they arrived at Eddie's, Rachel once again had to push her personal feelings to the back of her agenda. Being back here evoked so many memories and happy times; so much so that she found it extremely difficult not to slip into her own reverie.

Making her mother as comfortable as possible given her injuries, Rachel took a seat adjacent to her. Initially, she had considered sitting in the chair opposite. Mainly because the sofa almost forced her mind to focus on the many intimate moments she and Eddie had shared. It seemed the thoughts had raked through his brain also; when their eyes locked, the rest of the world seemed irrelevant. But that was incredibly far from the truth, and they both knew it.

"Can I get you both a drink?" Eddie broke the silence, along with the intense stare.

"I'd love a tea please," Susan said, "milk and one sugar."

Eddie turned to Rachel next, taking a slight hint of comfort in the fact that if she was having a drink, he would know exactly how she wanted it.

"Just some water please Eddie, thank you."

"Coming right up."

With his last statement, Eddie was gone. Leaving Rachel wondering where on earth this exchange with her mother could end up.

"Did Graeme do this to you?" Rachel suggested, once again refusing to call that man _Dad_.

"I… yes, yes he did."

Rachel sighed. The prospect seemed a whole lot worse now she knew it was true.

"It's only the second time he's been violent with me, the whole time we've been together," Susan continued.

The two family members shared a knowing look. Graeme had been physical towards Rachel on far more counts than that, and both women knew it.

"What triggered it?" Rachel asked, she gathered that there had to be a rather significant reason behind his outbursts.

"Do you remember your 15th birthday?"

The younger woman nodded solemnly. Rachel remembered it, but it was something she had constantly tried to shake from her memory. After she dropped a glass by accident, Graeme had given her a particularly violent beating. To the extent that her aunt Grace had accompanied her to the hospital, with a false story of tripping down the stairs.

"It happened the day after, when you, Melissa and Chris were staying at Grace's. It… it was the one time I called him out for his behaviour. I said I would leave him if he assaulted you again."

Upon seeing tears glistening in her mother's eyes, Rachel shifted closer to Susan. As she took her hand, Rachel appreciated how difficult it must be for Susan to relive this. Rachel could certainly understand that.

"He hit me, several times and hard. But he was careful, did it in places where you, Mel and Chris wouldn't see. I… nearly left him. Couldn't bring myself to do it though, for once in my life, I tried to put my children first, I really did."

"Look mum, the past is in the past now. I'm not going to hold that against you anymore. To get through this, we need to move on from it."

Rachel's words came from the heart, which made them all the more difficult to say. They were worth it though, especially seeing the glimpse of a sincere smile forming on her mother's lips.

"And as for this morning…" Susan resumed, "the reasons behind the abuse were similar. I hated how he was putting you down, calling you…"

"It's alright, it's likely I've heard it a thousand times before."

"He was… calling you a whore, along with several other things. And I was sick of it, couldn't bring myself to listen to him any longer. I just snapped Rachel, started screaming at him, saying how he couldn't go on like this…"

A shaky sob emanated from Susan, and Rachel saw no need to sit back and let her continue.

"It's okay mum," she whispered, stroking the elder woman's hair as a form of reassurance, "you don't need to explain the rest. All you need to know, is that I'm here for you now. We will get through this together, rather than apart."

Against her chest, she sensed her mother nod, and she took that as a cue to continue.

"You're welcome to stay with me for as long as you need. You have to recover from these injuries for a start."

"Th… thank you sweetheart. I know I might not have shown it in the past, but I do love you. You know that don't you?"

Rachel nodded as she and Susan made eye contact. Now it was her eyes full to the brim with tears. Even though she might have ignored the emotions inside of her, it was something she had needed to hear from her mum for a long time now.

"I love you too mum."

Only as the pair ended conversation, to focus on comforting one another, did Rachel realise the absence of Eddie. Not for long though, she glanced up at the door, and there he was. A soft smile was evident on his lips as he watched them, and Rachel found herself wondering how long he had been stood there.

His consideration was something that she had always been aware of, but now even more so. Returning the smile, Rachel allowed her thoughts to turn to Eddie for just a few moments. Perhaps for once, she even let herself consider just picking up where they left off. She knew it wouldn't be that easy, but the thought was there. And the sparks of hope flitting around in her body were more than enough for now.


	20. Chapter 20

_Hi everyone, thanks for the reviews._

_There's probably going to be about 5 more chapters left of this story, just to let you guys know. I'm currently working on a different one though, which i'm going to try and write the majority of before uploading the first chapter. _

_Hope you enjoy this :) x_

After a while of simply holding Susan in her arms, Rachel noted that her mother was beginning to fall asleep. Not for the first time that day, Rachel considered how emotionally and physically exhausting this whole ordeal must have been for her.

Eddie caught her gaze out of the corner of her eye, and immediately offered up one of his spare rooms.

"Mum," Rachel spoke hushly, the last thing she wanted to do was startle her after that morning's events, "do you want to go lie down for a bit, Eddie doesn't mind at all."

Her mother smiled and nodded, before turning to face Eddie as she stood.

"First door on the right."

"Thank you," Susan said, placing a light hand on Eddie's forearm.

Hearing Susan's steps recede up the staircase, Eddie shifted his position from the arm chair to join Rachel on the sofa.

"How're you? I know I haven't really had a chance to ask you since this morning," he queried, maintaining a slight distance but equally wanting to be as close to Rachel as humanly possible. Following recent hours, Eddie felt as if their trust and love had heightened once more, but he still didn't want to push her.

To his delight, Rachel shifted closer to him so that they were almost touching.

"Better than I thought I would be. I've never really admitted it before, but I always craved a proper relationship with my mum. Perhaps now, that's a possibility."

"I'm glad you feel that way Rachel, you certainly deserve some happiness."

She glanced up at him then and smiled, a look which made Eddie weak at the knees. Seemingly, he was still adjusting to her presence after so long apart, and it felt rather surreal.

"So do you Eddie."

He brought a hand up to her face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a mannerism which Rachel fondly remembered from their past relationship. Adjusting to the heat of his hand now resting on her neck, Rachel only just realised how close they were. The need and desire for one another was intoxicating, and both Eddie and Rachel were aware of this.

Irritatingly, something was holding Rachel back. She wanted this, more than anything. So why was she not letting her heart lead this one?

"Rachel if your not ready for this then I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait for you as long as it takes."

"I wish I could let myself jump straight back to where we were. It just feels too soon, after Melissa and now everything with my mum today. There's too much going on in my brain. But I love you Eddie, and I do want this, more than anything."

Rachel's heart was beating faster than ever, and she was certain that Eddie must be able to hear it too. Before Eddie could speak his response, Rachel leant forwards slightly, and brushed her lips lightly against his cheek.

It took her mind back to the previous evening, and the way she mirrored her actions now. The gesture was identical, but that contrasted perfectly with how far they had come. In the space of 24 hours their relationship has blossomed once more.

"Thank you Eddie. I know those words feel like a regular occurrence to me at the moment."

She watched as his smile widened, and sensed the chuckle which emanated from his lips.

"And me saying 'you don't need to keep saying thank you' also feels like a regular occurrence."

Rachel allowed herself to tip her head back and laugh. Possibly for the first time since yesterday's tragic events was the sound pure and genuine. Having said that, it could never not be when around Eddie.

"Good point," she managed to murmur through the giggles, sharing a huge amount of joy with Eddie in that moment.

"Why don't you go pick Philip and Isabelle up from my place. I'll wait here, just in case mum wakes up."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Hearing those words escape from Eddie's mouth caused her heart to soar that little bit more. Just like his actions over the past twenty four hours, it reiterated his words on the last day of the summer term. Evidently, Rachel was his first priority, his primary focus. Nothing in the world could make her happier than that.

"I'll be fine Eddie," she spoke softly, brushing a thumb across his cheekbone, "I'll be here when you get back."

With a squeeze of her hand, and a reciprocation of her earlier 'I love you,' Eddie had emerged from the living room. It was the first time they had been apart since reuniting. Except now, Rachel was left with the knowledge that he would return, and be a huge part of the rest of her life.

….

Upon seeing Eddie arrive back with Philip and Isabelle, Rachel left the house to greet them. This was mainly for two reasons, to help with bags and to talk to Philip. She still very much stood with her earlier decision. It was up to Phil to determine whether or not to meet his grandmother, and Rachel didn't want to risk that decision being made for him should Susan wake up.

Exchanging a smile with Eddie and taking a long glance at Isabelle, Rachel turned to Philip.

"Hi… Philip, do you fancy popping to the shop with me? I could do with some milk."

A slightly confused expression flashed across the boys face, before he nodded.

"Yeh sure."

Rachel shared a knowing look with Eddie before she caught up with her nephew, preparing herself for what she had to say.

"You know that my mum was… attacked earlier don't you?"

"Yeh. How is she?"

"Better. The injuries weren't as bad as first thought."

Philip nodded once more, and Rachel couldn't help but wonder if it was a coping mechanism.

"The thing is Philip, I'm looking after her at the moment, she's got no one else. And well, she's asked if she can meet you."

"She wants to meet me?"

The boy sounded baffled in a way, but in his tone Rachel could detect a sense of something else. Happiness perhaps? Curiosity?

"Yes. I know we talked briefly about this yesterday. But I wanted to ask you again how you felt about it. When she asked, it didn't seem right to answer for you."

Philip stopped for a moment, turning to face Rachel momentarily.

"Thanks Rach," he said, shuffling slightly on the spot, "Well… for caring, and actually asking me."

"Philip, it's second nature to me. I'm _always _going to be here for you. Don't you worry about that."

A beam tugged at his lips, and Rachel witnessed true joy in his features for the first time in several hours.

"I'd like to meet her… my grandma. Thing is, she's a part of mum…" he stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, evidently fighting back the tears. Only when Rachel placed a hand on his shoulder did Philip continue, "so yeh. I think I'm ready to meet her."

"Come on then, let's get back. I didn't really need milk you know," Rachel grinned, pleased that her humour had the desired effect on Philip.

"Really Rach? We could've just sat in the car or something?"

She laughed once more at her nephew's antics, before turning around and retracing their steps.

….

"We're back," Rachel announced as she poked her head around the living room door.

She had expected her mother to be sound asleep still, but that wasn't the case. Instead, the sight that greeted Rachel automatically pulled on her heartstrings.

Susan was perched on the sofa, with Isabelle resting in her arms, having a bottle. Eddie was sat adjacent to her, simply smiling down at his daughter. At the sound of Rachel's voice, both adults glanced up, Eddie making a move towards her.

"Hey," Eddie spoke, resting a hand on her arm. He mouthed 'is he alright' referring to Philip, who appeared behind Rachel with perfect timing.

"Hi Phil, your grandma's just in there."

Suddenly, Rachel felt a surge of pride at how well Philip was dealing with this whole situation. He nodded curtly, and Rachel realised that this was exactly what he wanted.

"Hi," Philip said as he entered the room.

"Oh hello, you must be Philip," her mother's voice was shaky, and Rachel was glad that she genuinely cared about this scenario.

"Yeh that's me."

Realising Isabelle remained (now happily sleeping) in Susan's arms, Eddie made a move to pick her up, guessing that she and Philip would want some space.

Susan murmured her thanks, before turning her attention to Philip.

"Shall we leave them to it?" Eddie whispered in Rachel's ear, causing the all familiar feelings to swirl around in her being.

Rachel nodded, glancing at Eddie briefly before setting her eyes on Isabelle. She was sleeping peacefully, her small chest rising and falling slowly with every breath. She was beautiful, and Rachel was glad that events had subsided for now, and she could focus her time on her niece. Spending time with Isabelle would be precious for Rachel, she would treasure every single moment.

Unbeknownst to Rachel, Eddie was watching her with a similar expression to her own. He thanked his lucky stars that this woman was once again in his life. Isabelle and Rachel were the two shining lights in all of this darkness. They were people Eddie would cherish forever, and he found himself realising how grateful he was to have them both in his life.


	21. Chapter 21

_Hi everyone, thank you for the reviews. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x_

Twelve days had passed since Melissa's death, and they had finally got to the day which Rachel was both dreading and longing for with equal measures. Melissa's funeral was not something that Rachel had ever considered, she never envisaged that she would be burying her younger sister. But here she was, perched at her kitchen table at 3 am, with a lingering inability to sleep. Rachel supposed that today would bring her a sense of closure, which was why, in a way, she almost yearned for it. As well as the topic of the day ahead, another thought had been imposing on Rachel's mind. Ever since Graeme's attack on her mother, she had been on edge, as if her husband would turn up at any given moment. On several occasions, Rachel had attempted to prompt Susan to go to the police and reveal all. For her though, it wasn't a possibility; Rachel didn't know what Graeme had said to her, but it was certainly significant if it had given rise to such a reaction.

As Rachel considered attempting sleep once more, her ears were drawn to light footsteps on her staircase. Immediately, Rachel wondered who it was, and worried that Philip was having similar problems to herself. Aside from this though, she allowed herself to explore the possibility that Eddie had simply woken upon hearing movement in the house, or more plausibly, Isabelle had required a bottle. As much as Rachel strived to cope with everything on her own, she couldn't deny how much she had confided in Eddie since becoming reunited, and found herself suffocated with a need for him to calm her erratic musings.

Perhaps this was why it didn't come as a surprise when the figure of the man himself became visible in her doorway.

"Couldn't sleep?"

He spoke in a hushed tone, evidently considering other occupants of the household. Rachel shook her head lightly in response, which Eddie took as a signal to take a seat next to her.

"Is Isabelle alright?"

As Rachel posed this question, her diversion of the topic didn't go amiss in Eddie's brain.

"Sound asleep in her moses basket. I think we will know about it if she does wake up though."

This had the desired effect, and a small smile played across Rachel's lips. For her, it had been a privilege to spend so much time with Isabelle over the past week, it was unbelievable how much she had grown in such a short space of time.

"What's on your mind?" queried Eddie, scrutinising Rachel's every expression. He understood that the main factor for her lack of sleep would be the obvious; Melissa's upcoming funeral. With Rachel though, her thoughts were usually a lot more complex than the apparent, and Eddie intended to divulge into every aspect of that.

"Because my relationship with Melissa was often… distant, I haven't been able to stop my mind from sort of clouding reality. Since the day she died, I've allowed myself to imagine her living in Scotland or Cornwall, somewhere far away, but very much _alive."_

Upon seeing a lone tear travel down Rachel's face, Eddie outstretched a hand to hers, hoping to offer some comfort before she continued. To his slight surprise, Rachel interlocked their fingers and brought their hands to rest comfortably on her lap. Eddie was glad that he had been able to offer the slight consolation that she very much required.

"And although today will no doubt give me a sense of closure, nothing can change the fact that it will force me to face the reality of this situation."

"Listen, Rachel, I know you said that I should stay and take care of Isabelle, but my dad is off work today. He will be happy to spend some time with her. Let me be there Rachel, to support you."

Rachel hesitated for a moment, and in that space of time, Eddie convinced himself that she would put others needs first once more. He was prepared for that, nothing could stop him from Rachel being his first priority. That had never changed, even with the time they spent apart; she was always at the forefront of his mind.

"Only if you're sure Eddie, I wouldn't want to - ''

"Rachel, I'm more than sure," he interjected, giving her hand a squeeze in hope of emphasising his words.

A smile was exchanged between the pair, but Eddie could always see through Rachel's mirage. He noted the way her lips twisted slightly, and the manner in which she now held herself. Something else was bothering her.

"Was there anything else?" he pondered lightly, almost subconsciously running his thumb across her knuckles.

Rachel noticed the gesture, and looked down slightly before responding. It seemed that she was realigning her thoughts with that fact that they were in fact holding hands. The vulnerability and anxiousness swimming in her eyes as their gazes became level made it hard for Eddie to resist enveloping Rachel in his arms entirely, and kissing her worries away. All in all though, completely rekindling their relationship was something which Eddie would wait a lifetime for. He wasn't about to rush things with Rachel and risk pushing her away. Things would be taken at her pace.

"It's just the fact my mother hasn't gone to the police about Graeme. You know, it unnerves me Eddie… why? What on earth did he say to her? And she's clearly expecting him to turn up with any given moment. Her whole demeanour proves that."

Eddie noted Rachel's use of 'Graeme' rather than 'dad' or 'father.' It was something which he could comprehend completely. Graeme was as far from a father figure as humanly possible, he didn't deserve the connotations that came with 'dad.' Certainly not coming from someone as special and phenomenal as Rachel.

"I take it you've tried talking to her?"

Rachel nodded, "multiple times. She just freezes, even at the mention of his name."

"That's understandable. You're right though, she's obviously not telling us the full story. I reckon he's threatened her verbally as well as physically. But what he said, I don't know Rach."

"I think I'm going to wait until today is over with, and broach the subject with her once more."

Eddie smiled lightly, glad that he had been able to calm Rachel's nerves and set her confidence back on track.

"I'm here for you Rachel, I'm not going anywhere."

"Well that's good because I figure I'm quite content with your company."

Just as Eddie was about to respond, Isabelle's cries were heard, signalling that she was in need of a bottle.

"What did I say? Told you we'd know about it," Eddie smirked as he stood.

"You go see to her Eddie, I'll bring the bottle up."

Over the past week or so, Eddie had been more than grateful for Rachel's help. She'd understood that it would be rather difficult for Eddie to juggle all of Isabelle's feeds alone, so had assisted considerably so that he wouldn't be left completely sleepless. They had worked as a team, something which had always come as second nature to the both of them.

Once Rachel had prepared the bottle, and made her way upstairs, Isabelle had calmed slightly and her cries were far less frequent. Eddie was sitting up in Rachel's spare bed, rocking Isabelle back and forth in his arms. This was something that consistently warmed Rachel's heart, despite it being a prominent image since last Saturday.

As she turned to leave, Eddie's hush voice had Rachel stopping in her tracks.

"Stay Rachel."

For Eddie, those two words alone were a huge risk, never mind everything that seemed to attach to them. They almost undermined his earlier considerations. Aside from this though, he wanted to comfort Rachel, and he hoped that she would allow herself to get some sleep when in his presence. Perhaps she wouldn't be feeling as apprehensive or concerned for everything that the day ahead brought.

He witnessed hesitation travel through her features, but felt rather reassured when that particular tone disappeared almost instantly.

Instead, she emanated a smile before retracing her steps and sitting adjacent to Eddie. Silence invaded the room as he continued to feed Isabelle her bottle, the pair were watching the baby girl with equal content and adoration. Only when she was reacquainted with her moses basket did the adults allow their attention to re focus on one another.

As their eyes locked, it seemed that their thoughts were almost identical. This particular instance had transported them both back to a time when sharing a bed was a regular occurrence. In recent months, neither Eddie nor Rachel considered that this would ever be a possibility once more. As cliche as it sounded, it truly was a 'pinch me' moment.

"Good night Eddie," Rachel said, breaking the silence.

Prior to his reciprocation, Eddie brushed a strand of hair back from Rachel's face; allowing his hand to tentatively brush her cheek and caress her neck.

"Night Rachel."

His touch was beautiful, immaculate. It was something that Rachel would happily endure forever.

This particular action had prompted the pair to shift closer slightly, meaning that it didn't strike Rachel as a difficulty to place her head on Eddie's chest and allow her body to become enveloped by his arms.

One arm of Eddie's anchored her waist, keeping her close and secure in his embrace. The other brushed her hair lightly, his fingertips often skimming her shoulder. Accident or not, Rachel didn't allow her mind to chew on the matter. For now, she was content with the feelings swimming around in her stomach as she drifted off in a matter of minutes.

Seemingly, it was far simpler to fall asleep wrapped in the hold of the one you love.


	22. Chapter 22

_Hi everyone. Thank you for the reviews and to everyone still reading this story. _

_I mentioned a few chapters ago that there was only going to be about 5 chapters left... I'm just seeing how it goes at the moment, there might end up being more than that. _

_Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :) x_

In the moments before reality hit home, Eddie was at his absolute happiest upon waking up. A similar position to what he and Rachel fell asleep in remained. Her head was nestled against his chest, and arms were wrapped around one another securely. That alone seemed to represent the want and need to never let go of each other again. It wasn't long before Eddie realised that their legs were now intertwined, and that through the thin cotton of his t shirt, Rachel's light breaths could be felt. Her presence was almost intoxicating, Eddie seemed to be overwhelmed with love for the woman settled in his arms.

There was no doubt that today would be incredibly difficult, for the both of them. But for Rachel in particular. Eddie began to recollect their conversation from the early hours of that morning, and found himself feeling glad that he was going to be there every step of the way, to support Rachel when she needed it most.

Removing Eddie from his thoughts, Rachel's left arm travelled from around his middle to end up resting across his chest. This signalled that she was awake, something which seemed to make Eddie oddly nervous. It was the first time in months they had woken in the same bed together, he just hoped that Rachel's walls wouldn't shoot back up upon realising this.

All uncertainties were eradicated the second Rachel's eyes met his. Her hazel orbs were full of conflicted emotions, and yet, undertones of contentment were clear for Eddie to recognise.

She smiled slightly, "hi."

"How're you feeling now?" Eddie queried, reciprocating the warm gesture.

"Slightly better."

Eddie was glad to establish the sincerity etched within the words. Seemingly, his words and comfort had supported her to a certain extent.

"I'm glad," he responded, stretching slightly to take a glance at the bedside clock, "it's 7 o'clock, so that gives us enough time to get Isabelle sorted before we need to think about getting everything else in order."

Rachel exhaled slightly, and from the way her brow furrowed, Eddie guessed that the day ahead wasn't something which she wanted to discuss further.

"Speaking of Isabelle, she's done well to sleep all the way from four to seven."

His comment had the desired effect, and Rachel's expression lit up once more at a second mention of her niece.

"You can hear her little snores."

"Hmm, not for long. No doubt she'll be up and raring to go within the next half an hour," Eddie smiled, subconsciously running his hand up and down Rachel's arm.

"Shall we grab breakfast while we can then?"

Eddie nodded in agreement, "Sounds like a plan."

He felt as if he could of lay cocooned in her embrace for a little longer. But Eddie was just overly glad of her presence. Despite everything, it seemed surreal to be pottering around in Rachel's kitchen, cooking breakfast together like they always should have been.

….

Before agreeing to let Eddie's father look after Isabelle, Rachel had known the day's difficulties would only be amplified without him by her side. It wasn't just her who needed support though, no doubt Philip's mindset would be filled with an equal ammount of dread. For Rachel, it seemed inconceivable that she was about to attend her little sister's funeral, but even more harrowing, was the fact that her 16 year old nephew was about to bury his mother. Along with these considerations, the reality of Susan's situation also hit home with Rachel. Of course, Rachel didn't have children of her own, yet she considered Philip and Isabelle to be extremely close to that mark. The thought of saying goodbye to your own child was one not worth thinking about.

So now, at half past ten in the morning, Rachel found herself standing side by side with Eddie, comforting her mother and nephew with arms secure around them both. It wouldn't be long until the cars arrived; and when attending funerals in the past, Rachel had always seen that as one of the worst parts. With this image in her brain, an uncomfortable shudder was sent down Rachel's spine.

All of a sudden breaking apart from her arms, Philip began to pace up and down in the living room.

"I don't think I can do this."

All three adults exchanged a glance, as if trying to communicate who should aim to diffuse Philip's understandable nerves and heartbreak. With a discreet squeeze of her hand from Eddie, Rachel seemed to find the courage to approach her nephew.

She placed a hand on his arm reassuringly, "Come on love, let's go into the kitchen for a moment."

Phil nodded, an ounce of tension instantly leaking out of his body upon hearing his aunt's supportive tone.

Once perched at the breakfast bar, Rachel considered just how carefully she would have to broach this topic. Emotions were undoubtedly already high, Rachel just wanted her nephew to know that she was very much there for him.

"To an extent Philip, I can understand exactly how you are feeling. We both loved your mum, immeasurably."

"I just don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye yet Rach."

"In all honesty, I don't think I will ever be ready to say goodbye. I never envisaged attending my younger sister's funeral, much like you will of never considered being at your mum's at such an early age."

As Rachel put her words across, she could see Phil's expression changing slightly. The way hope seemed to flicker within his features suggested that she was getting somewhere. Rachel wanted Philip to know that she understands what he must be going through, that they are in this together.

"Thanks Rach. For being there."

"I'll always be there for you Philip. I'm not saying today is going to be easy, far from it. But going through it together is bound to alleviate some of the pain, hm?"

The boy nodded, offering Rachel a grateful smile as they re-entered the living room.

"The cars are here," Eddie said, gesturing his head towards the window.

As Susan linked arms with Philip and made their way out of the house, Eddie turned to Rachel in the doorway. He noted the evidence of tears in her eyes, and wanted to reiterate his benevolent presence. Eddie wrapped his arms around Rachel, bringing her into his embrace. She only allowed a sob or two to emanate, before taking a deep breath and regaining her composure.

Eddie planted a soft kiss into her hair before aiming to emphasise his support further.

"I've got you Rachel."

She leant back from him then, alligning her sight with his and attempting a crooked smile.

"And I'm forever grateful for that."

Arm in arm the pair followed Philip and Susan's previous steps. Much like Rachel would be supportive of Philip today, Eddie was very much there for her. If tackled together, Rachel was sure that she could handle the hours ahead.

….

Susan had been expecting Graeme to turn up throughout the whole service. No matter how much she had attempted to reassure herself, the thought seemed to linger at the back of her mind. As it came to an end, she felt a peculiar sense of relief that her husband hadn't made an entrance. For everyone, this day was already strenuous, no one needed the presence of Graeme Fenshaw. Most of all Rachel, who Susan had worried about consistently as the hours passed.

Now gathered in a local pub for the wake, Susan's mind continued to focus on Graeme, and everything he was capable of. She wished that she had the courage to just go to the police, surely then, everything would be solved? The cops wouldn't let him get away with it. Somehow though, Susan just couldn't bring herself to do it. Not when the safety of her family had been brought into question.

_Speak a word, and your precious Amanda won't live another day. Oh and your grandchildren? I'll make sure they live the life from hell. _

_Your _grandchildren. Susan had been in utter disbelief at her husband's spitefulness. Of course, she had witnessed Rachel bore the brunt of his temper several instances before. Somehow though, that particular day his fury had escalated to an altogether different level. Didn't he even consider for one moment that Philip and Isabelle were _his _grandchildren too? And Rachel his daughter?

With all these thoughts spinning around in her mind, Susan suddenly felt faint. She needed air, and fast. Unaware of Rachel and Eddie's eyes upon her, Susan dashed out of the pub, taking deep breaths as she emerged into the cool November air.

"Hello Susan."

_No. It couldn't be him. _

An evil chuckle emanated from the man's mouth, confirming all of Susan's fears. Having Graeme so close to her once more made Susan shudder. She couldn't see a way out of this one.

"Wh- what are you doing here Graeme? You shouldn't be here."

"You lost the right to tell me what to do a very long time ago," he sniggered again, presumably at the way Susan was now cowering away from him, "I'm just here to check that you're keeping up your side of the bargain."

"I haven't been to the police, if that's what you mean."

Graeme nodded, "good. I take it I don't need to remind you of what will happen if you do."

Susan shook her head, not wanting to prolong this conversation but equally wondering how he had known her location.

"How did you know I was here Graeme?"

"Despite what you might think, I'm not a pushover. Thought I might need to keep an eye on you, make sure you're not giving anything away to Amanda, or her little sidekick."

"I'm not going to say anything, Graeme."

His face was millimetres away from her own, and it unnerved Susan massively. She gasped as he shoved her body into the wall, hand constricting around her neck.

"That's what I like to hear."

The sound of the pub doors opening caused Graeme to jump back from his position.

"Mum, is everything alright?"

Graeme stood stock still as Rachel and Eddie's footsteps emerged. Susan dreaded to think what his wicked mind was currently planning.

"Go," Susan hissed at Graeme. The last thing Rachel needed right now was to come face to face with her abusive father.

It was too late.

"Graeme… what on earth..."

Rachel's expression and words contorted into that of disgust and fear, as she backed up into Eddie's arms.

Despite the circumstances, Susan couldn't help but smile internally at the way Eddie's arms protectively rose to Rachel's. It only highlighted her suspicions that the pair were very much in love. Perhaps if Susan hadn't had the events of recent weeks to deal with, she would've made sure they were together by now.

"Are you hurt Susan?" Eddie posed this question, seemingly Rachel was utterly lost for words as her gaze shifted between the floor and her father.

Before Susan could respond, Graeme's snigger was heard once more, met by a thunderous glare from Eddie.

"I'm fine Eddie… let's go."

Graeme surged forward once Susan's words had registered, grabbing her arm so that the ability to move was made extremely difficult.

For Susan, she could see that the conflict was evident in Eddie's eyes. He longed to remove Rachel from any danger, to protect her. Equally though, he knew that Graeme had to leave, or be told to at least.

Graeme leant forwards towards her ear, lowering his voice ever so slightly, "Remember what I said."

Apparently, his tone had been kept at a considerable volume; Susan witnessed the way Eddie and Rachel shared questioning glances and found herself wondering how she was going to explain that one.

Upon realising that Graeme's hold over Susan hadn't loosened, Eddie gently moved Rachel behind him before stepping forward slightly.

"Eddie don't, he's not worth it."

Of course Eddie wanted to throw a punch at Graeme, but Rachel's words held him back from that. She was right, he _wasn't _worth it. Holding back the urge to physically harm Graeme, Eddie settled for some persuasive words.

"I think it's time you left Graeme. You should never have come in the first place."

With one final shove at Susan's body, and a glare at Rachel which had Eddie returning to her side, Graeme was gone. A thick silence seemed to dominate the atmosphere, as the three adults considered what exactly should happen from here.

Stepping forward from Eddie, it was Rachel who spoke first, "I'm sorry mum, but I have to know. What did he mean by 'remember what I said' ?"


	23. Chapter 23

_Hi everyone, thank you for the reviews._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll hopefully have another one posted some point this week :) x_

"I'll tell you Rachel. But not here, not now."

"Let's go home then. I'm not letting you bury your head in the sand anymore mum."

Rachel had anticipated a refusal from Susan, instead though, she was witness to a reluctant nod from her mother. It wasn't much, but it was more than she was expecting. Rachel was just glad to be taking a step closer to the truth.

As Eddie re-entered the pub to collect Philip, and Susan made her way over to the car, Rachel was left to reflect on recent minutes. The way Eddie had risen to her defence when Graeme's presence was made known had warmed Rachel's heart. As ever, Eddie seemed to be having that effect on her. He was the one by her side 24/7, the one she could always turn to. The past few weeks had accentuated that immensely. Eddie's steadfast support, along with the realisation that he was the one she could always turn to, had Rachel deciding that she couldn't let him go again, not ever. Perhaps soon, she would be ready to return to where they once were.

Weirdly, the man himself returned subsequent to Rachel's thoughts.

"You ready Rach?" Eddie queried softly, placing a light hand on her shoulder.

She turned to face him, offering a nod and a small smile, "where's Philip?"

"He wants to stay here for a bit. Your aunt Grace is going to drop him off later."

"It's probably for the best really. I mean, goodness knows what my mum's about to confess to. The poor lad has been through enough."

Eddie sighed, "so have you. You've got to look after yourself too Rachel."

"Eddie...I'm not a priority, not right now."

"You are to me."

Rachel smiled before brushing his cheek lightly with her thumb, "and I'm forever grateful for that. I just... need to get to the bottom of everything with my mum."

"And I'm there for you every step of the way. Come on, let's get going."

….

"It all started the night… when he erm..."

"When he assaulted you?" Rachel intervened lightly, comprehending how difficult this must be for her mother. Especially when she had been trying her hardest to brush Graeme's abuse under the carpet.

Susan nodded, glancing between both Rachel and Eddie. Eddie had offered to give the two women some space, even though he had been torn - he wanted to be there for Rachel first and foremost. To his slight surprise, Susan had asked him to stay. Something in her eyes had told Eddie that she saw everything which surrounded his and Rachel's past. Eddie found himself wondering just how much she had worked out.

"That's when he said it. Threatened me."

Rachel shared a look with Eddie, hoping his calming presence would lower her nerves. Graeme was capable of pretty much anything, so Rachel's mind was sent into overdrive upon assessing the endless amounts of possibilities.

"Said what mum? What did he say?"

Upon noting the shakiness evident in Rachel's voice, Eddie discreetly took hold of her hand, hidden with the float of her skirt. It seemed to be a recurring thing in recent weeks, holding Rachel's hand out of sight. It had taken his mind back to one of the evenings with Rachel which he would never forget. That particular day, Rachel had expressed her concerns surrounding the publicity of their relationship, having her private life open to discussion was not something which Rachel welcomed. Eddie understood that completely, but that didn't mean his happiness hadn't sky rocketed when she had decided to go public, and more importantly took hold of his hand in the playground.

Rachel giving his hand a squeeze before her mum began to speak removed Eddie from his reverie. Despite the current situation, Eddie's heart soared when she didn't remove her hand. Their fingers remained well and truly interlocked.

"This is far from easy to say, and I'm sorry… but it's not going to be easy for you to hear either."

"Mum, I.. I completely understand that. I _get _that whatever he said won't have been pleasant. But I need to know."

"Yes… yes you do," Susan's hesitation was clear, and yet Rachel was sure that they were gradually getting somewhere, "he told me that if I went to the police, he would make sure that Philip and… and Isabelle would live a life from hell."

Both Rachel and Eddie froze at the mention of Phil and Isabelle, and seemed to hold onto each other significantly tighter. Even as Rachel felt suffocated by her mother's declaration, she could tell that she was still holding something back. Susan's eyes were darting all over the place, she couldn't meet neither Eddie nor Rachel's gaze. There was more to this.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel managed to compose herself, "what else did he say?"

"That was all…" Susan exhaled and stopped herself once she saw the way both Eddie and Rachel were looking at her. They weren't going to let this lie without uncovering absolutely everything, "you're right Rachel. Graeme did say something else. Another threat, he said he would… kill you. He said he would kill you. More specifically, he said that you wouldn't live another day."

Eddie had been riled previously, when Susan mentioned Graeme's threats towards Isabelle and Philip. But he had tried his utmost, to keep his composure for the sake of Rachel. Now though, Eddie's lid had been flipped, this was the final straw.

Instantly he sprang up from the couch, flinging his arms up in the air.

"I'm sorry but I'm not having this. Something needs to be done. That man needs to pay for his actions, for these threats he's made."

Within an instant, Rachel had risen to his level, offering a supportive arm in the hope of settling his understandable anger. God knows, she was just as furious.

"Let's just think about this rationally for a moment Eddie. Believe me, with Graeme, going in all guns blazing isn't going to get him to back down."

For a moment, Eddie seemed as if he wasn't going to let this go. Then though, Rachel gave his arm a gentle squeeze and he appeared to relax instantly. Sure enough, he exhaled loudly and nodded, giving Rachel a small but grateful smile.

It was then that Susan stood too, having sat back and watched their brief discussion unfold.

"I'm so sorry Rachel, and you Eddie. That I didn't mention something sooner. I was just, _am _just awfully worried about his next moves."

"Come on mum, come here," Rachel began, wrapping her arms around Susan, "I do wish that you had told us sooner, but I completely understand why you didn't. You're scared, and so am I. We all know what Graeme is capable of."

As Rachel's voice broke when she finished off her sentence, she felt a reassuring hand rub up and down her back. Yet again, Eddie's endless support was well and truly present. Rachel found herself questioning how she had managed to watch him walk away back in July.

"What do we do now?" Susan said upon pulling away several moments later.

Rachel noted her mother's tear stained cheeks and swiped the salty residue away. Both for Susan's benefit and her own. Rachel wasn't sure if she knew the answer to that question right now either. She needed time to truly think about this, but she wasn't sure if they would have any time at all. Graeme had to be stopped soon, time was currently sparse.

"Our best option is to go to the police," spoke Eddie, before Rachel could gather her thoughts.

Susan was evidently unsure about his suggestion, and so was Rachel. Eddie was right though, it _was _their only option, their best option.

"I think Eddie's right mum. Thinking about it, look at all the instances we have to back this up. The police are aware of your recent assault, they have plenty of evidence. Surely, if you go to them and confess, they are going to arrest him. He's not going to be anywhere near us then is he."

Susan nodded shakily, her demeanour still showing hallmarks of concern and anxiety.

"And if we inform the police of his threats," Eddie began, "then he doesn't have a leg to stand on."

"It's late now," Susan responded, and Rachel found herself worrying that her mother had no intentions of going to the police. It was only just approaching 8 o'clock, "can we sleep on this and I'll go, to the police. In the morning."

Rachel and Eddie exchanged a glance, once again communicating their thoughts in silence. Realising that this was the best possible agreement, and all her and Eddie were going to get from Susan, Rachel gave in.

"Okay. But tomorrow mum, it has to be done. Eddie and I… we will be there for you every step of the way. You are not alone, I promise."

Susan rubbed her eyes, removing almost all evidence of her upset. She approached Rachel and Eddie slowly, before wrapping each of her arms around them both.

"Both of you, thank you, so much."

….

Having collected Isabelle from Eddie's dad's house, Rachel and Eddie had waited on the arrival of Philip. Shortly after 9, Grace had dropped him off. Both Rachel and Eddie had taken some time to talk to him, and explain some of what had been going on. Reassuring the two adults that he was indeed okay, Philip retreated to his bedroom. With Isabelle and Susan asleep, Rachel and Eddie were left in the living room along with two mugs of coffee.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier. Going off on one about Graeme," Eddie said, placing his cup down on a nearby cabinet.

Rachel sat forwards once his words had registered and momentarily met Eddie's gaze.

"You have got absolutely nothing to apologise for. You have every right to be angry. I'm angry Eddie, I'm furious with Graeme - my father, believe it or not - for putting us all in this situation."

"I wish you'd had a proper father Rachel. You deserve that more than anyone."

Rachel smiled, tilting her head slightly to assess the way Eddie was currently looking at her. His brown orbs were full of love and contentment, and the way they glanced over Rachel's whole face took her breath away.

For now, these thoughts accumulating in Rachel's brain were put to one side as Eddie spoke once more.

"One of the reasons why, I got so furious earlier, was the thought of losing you again Rachel. It can't happen. I need you. I love you."

Upon hearing Eddie's words, Rachel's heart seemed to explode with adoration. It almost felt surreal, that Eddie's thoughts now, aligned perfectly to her earlier musings. For Rachel, it just confirmed that she was ready. She was ready to once more take the next step with Eddie, and put the past few months behind them.

Both Rachel's own eyes and Eddie's, glanced towards one another's lips and that seemed to highlight everything that they both wanted. Rachel leant forwards slightly, closing the small gap between them. Their lips met instantly, with Eddie responding at an even quicker pace. Any doubts in their minds about the timing of their kiss were discarded, both parties were too lost in one another, and just how right this felt. The exchange began rather slow and tender, with Rachel and Eddie reacquainting themselves with everything they had cherished in their past relationship. Soon though, passion engulfed the pair and their kisses became urgent.

When Rachel felt the need for oxygen, she pulled away slightly. Resting her forehead against Eddie's, and ensuring that their lips still brushed, Rachel reciprocated Eddie's earlier comments.

"I need you Eddie… and I most definitely love you. I want to make this work."


	24. Chapter 24

_Hi everyone, thank you for the lovely reviews._

_Please enjoy this chapter :) x_

Chapter 24

It was early when Susan woke the next day. 6am to be exact. The previous day's discussion with Rachel and Eddie didn't exactly lend itself to a good night's sleep. That along with the anticipation of what the following day would hold. Susan knew that her daughter and Eddie were right, their only option was to reveal all to the police. That was the only way that they could move on as a family and get Graeme off their backs for the foreseeable future. Despite this, nothing could quash the trepidation evident in Susan's stomach at the thought of disobeying her husband's demands. Doing that had only resulted in abuse and heartbreak in the past, so Susan didn't see any likelihood of that changing course now.

Susan sighed as she swung her legs out of bed and stood up. She wasn't getting back to sleep now, not with the possibility of Graeme's next moves on her mind. As Susan emerged onto the landing, she noticed something unusual about Rachel's bedroom which was opposite her own. The door which was usually shut tight was currently wide open, leaving most of the room on display. Susan's subconscious straight away created a number of unlikely scenarios. It seemed that current events had tarnished her vision of reality. Still, her daughter's safety was a priority, and with Graeme's words ringing in her ears, Susan intended to find out where Rachel had gotten to.

Poking her head around Rachel's bedroom door as she approached it, Susan was met with the sight of a made bed, with no Rachel lying in it. She started to think more rationally then, maybe her daughter had simply fallen asleep downstairs on the sofa. Yesterday had been a tiresome day for every member of the family, especially for Rachel.

Just as Susan was about to make her way down the stairs, she heard the unmistakable noise of a bedroom door opening, and turned around to see Rachel coming out of one of her spare bedrooms. Eddie's spare bedroom. Everything began to fit into place for Susan now, and she couldn't help the slight smile which graced her own lips.

"Mum, is everything alright?" Rachel said in a hushed tone as she approached her mother.

"Yes, sorry, couldn't sleep. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, no. Isabelle just needs a bottle, I'm heading to make it now."

Susan nodded at Rachel's explanation before following her down the stairs. All the while, she continuously wondered what the history was with her daughter and Eddie and what their current situation was. Reaching the kitchen, the elder woman made a mental note to find out. Sooner rather than later.

….

Once Rachel had returned to the bedroom with a bottle for Isabelle, she explained to Eddie of her mother's presence, and decided to go and be with her downstairs. After the events of yesterday, Rachel doubted that Susan was in a fit state to be sitting on her own, allowing her own mind to eat her alive. Rachel had fallen victim to that many times before.

"Hey," she said, smiling at Susan as she took a seat next to her on the sofa.

"Hi," her mother replied, "did you not want to go back to sleep for a bit?"

"No, I erm, doubt I'll be able to now. How're you feeling?"

"On edge, as you've probably gathered. But I'm glad to have the support of you and Eddie. And I do think he's right, about going to the police."

Rachel nodded, "It is for the best mum. Graeme isn't going to be able to hurt us once all is revealed."

Silence elapsed for a few moments and Susan found herself going over the wording of what she wanted to say. The way she put this across had to be right, she wanted Rachel to feel like she could open up to her. Even though Susan had spent a lot of Rachel's life without her, seeing her both these past few weeks and growing up, had confirmed that she didn't trust people easily. Susan cursed herself slightly upon realising that Graeme and her own inability to intervene were probably two significant factors towards this.

"So, you and Eddie?"

Rachel glanced down and blushed slightly at her mother's words. What was she trying to work out here? Or what did she already know?

"It's… complicated mum."

"From what I gather he was with Melissa?"

Susan watched as a hurt expression flashed across Rachel's features. Whether that be as a result of the mention of Melissa, or Eddie's previous relationship with her, Susan wasn't sure. Realistically, it was likely to be a mixture of the two.

"Erm, yes. They were engaged, roughly about this time last year now. Did… did she not mention anything to you? You and Graeme were in contact with her."

Susan again blamed herself. She should have stood up to Graeme all along and insisted that they met Rachel along with Melissa. She definitely still had a lot of making up to do.

"No er, not a word about him actually."

Rachel was unsure how to approach this with her mother. She was kind of torn. A part of her was willing to reveal all and explain the ins and outs of what had gone on. She was sure that after watching her emerge from Eddie's bedroom earlier, Susan's curiosity would have heightened. Nothing other than the kiss had happened, but her mother wouldn't know that. Besides, for Susan, the love that Eddie and Rachel have for one another in itself would be new knowledge.

"Eddie was my deputy, for a number of years. He was already at Waterloo Road when I started actually. We began to build up a great working relationship and friendship. But I think we both knew there was more to it than that. I shared things with him that I've never told anyone, but never about my past. And yet, when he did find out, we grew apart slightly, Eddie was on the brink of resigning. It eventually got resolved and Eddie discovered about this man called Stuart Hordley who was blackmailing me at the time, I won't go into the depths of that, but all in all, he was threatening to expose my past to the LEA and the rest of the school. It's one day in particular that sticks out in my mind though. Stuart was in my office, threatening me, when Eddie walked in. I remember Stuart making a comment which alluded to my past, and Eddie, well, he punched him."

Susan allowed herself to smile slightly as she met Rachel's eyes. She was glad to know that Eddie had always held a protective air when it came to her daughter. Susan was sure that he had been close to whacking Graeme one the previous day.

"Anyway erm, it got to the last day of term, and we hadn't heard anymore from Stuart, so I guess we presumed that was it. We were actually sadly mistaken. A spelling bee competition was being held and Stuart turned up, revealing everything to a hall full of students and parents."

"Oh, Rachel."

Rachel smiled at Susan slightly, wanting to reassure her that although these events were still extremely raw, they were in the past and she didn't want her worrying about them.

"The disaster of that day didn't end there. A fire broke out in the canteen, Eddie and I decided to go our separate ways and do one final sweep of the school, and that was when I found Stuart, lying in the rubble. Aside from everything that he had put me through mum, I couldn't just leave him lying there to die. I tried my utmost to get us both out of there, but my last conscious thought was of the ceiling collapsing in on us both. Stuart he, he didn't make it, and I was left with a scar across my chest."

As Rachel gestured towards where her scar lay and pulled her pyjama top down slightly, Susan shifted closer to her daughter.

Lifting a hand to brush some hair back from Rachel's face, Susan aimed to make her own opinions clear, "you're still beautiful Rachel. A scar isn't going to change that, believe me."

The brief yet genuine smile which graced her daughter's lips told Susan that perhaps Eddie had spent several conversations hoping to portray a similar message. It was true, Rachel was amazing, scar or no scar. Susan was sure that there was still more to this story, and she intended to listen to every word.

….

After an hour or so spent together on the sofa, Rachel had divulged all to Susan. The entire story had left the elder woman slightly speechless, it pained her to think that Rachel had spent some of the recent months alone, and that she had to put her head before her heart in order to push Eddie away. She was glad that now, her daughter and Eddie had decided to make a go of things once more, both of them deserved each other and everything which came with that. As Susan now watched Rachel and Eddie play with Isabelle together, she decided that she would show her own appreciation for Rachel and Eddie's support in recent weeks.

Ascending the stairs, Susan crossed the landing to Philip's bedroom, where he was currently still sleeping, at a guess. Reluctant to wake him, but knowing she was unlikely to get a better opportunity to speak to him alone, Susan knocked on her grandson's bedroom door.

"Come in," Philip spoke, and Susan was surprised to find his voice sounded more awake than what she had been expecting.

"Hi Phil. How are you doing?"

"Better. I think Rach was right about yesterday, it did help me to get my emotions together."

"That's good," Susan commented as she took a seat on the end of Philip's bed, "look, Rachel and Eddie, tell me what you know."

"Well… I lived with Rach when erm, her and Eddie were you know, dating if you like. They definitely loved each other, I mean, as far as I can see they still do. It's just whether or not Rachel would be ready to take that next step or not. They definitely should get back together though, they make eachother happy. And they both deserve that really."

"Agreed. And you're right they, they're still very much in love."

Philip nodded and smiled as his grandmother thought.

"How about you and I put a plan in place so that they can spend some proper time together. You know we could book a meal for them, we'll look after Isabelle. How about it?"

As Susan looked up at the boy, she found a thousand watt grin taking ownership of his lips, "genius."

….

Downstairs, Eddie and Rachel were rocking Isabelle back off to sleep after a particularly restless half an hour or so.

"I think she's finally gone," Rachel whispered, glancing down at her niece who was sprawled out in her arms.

"About time," Eddie chuckled whilst stifling a yawn, "she's been screaming for the past hour!"

"You must be exhausted, how about you go and lie down for an hour or so?"

"What, and miss out on spending some quality time with you before you head off to work?" Eddie asked as he made his way over to Rachel, wrapping his arms around her waist as much as possible given Isabelle's current position, "no chance."

"Charmer," she responded, planting a swift kiss to his lips.

Eddie couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly. He was amazed that Rachel could now so freely kiss him and he could wrap his arms around her lovingly whenever he felt like it. It was something Eddie would always be grateful for and longed to treasure Rachel forever.

"Do you think your mum is going to go to the police today?" Eddie didn't like to darken the current light and loving atmosphere, but it was a question he had to ask. He wanted Rachel to feel at ease about the day ahead, and he was willing to alleviate any concerns if necessary.

"I hope so. She has acknowledged that it's the best thing to do. So I'm going to… broach the subject with her before I leave and see where that gets me. I think she'll want to wait until I'm back, but I'm just hoping for a little bit of reassurance"

Eddie nodded as Rachel brought her head to rest on Eddie's shoulder.

"Whatever the outcome Rach, we will get through it together. That's the way it's going to be from now on."

Rachel raised her head once more to align her eyes with Eddie's, "together. I wouldn't have it any other way."

As Rachel once more brought her head down to rest on his chest, Eddie concluded that he agreed entirely with her statement. He wouldn't have it any other way either.


	25. Chapter 25

_Hi everyone, thank you for the reviews._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter, there are only two left now including this one, just to let you guys know x_

As Rachel drove home from work, she found herself becoming increasingly worried about her mother's willingness to go to the police. She just had a gut feeling that Susan was going to back out, and with experience, Rachel's gut feelings were usually spot on. But as she pulled on to her driveway, she thought of Eddie, and his reassuring words from that morning. Yes, her gut feeling tended to be accurate, yet his opinions even more so. Even if this evening didn't go completely to plan, Rachel realised that she now had Eddie by her side every step of the way. And for now, she seemed to glean enough comfort from that to emerge from her car and approach the front door.

Walking through to the hallway, Rachel's anxiousness was only heightened upon seeing Susan pace up and down in the kitchen and hearing Eddie's voice seeking to calm her.

Once she reached the kitchen, Rachel managed to capture the end of Eddie's current sentence.

"... once you reveal everything to the police Susan, Graeme isn't going to hurt you. Or any of us. You've got to trust Rachel and I on this one."

Rachel leant against the door frame, planning to give her agreement, "he's right mum."

Both Susan and Eddie's heads turned to the source of the voice, and Rachel became witness to the true extent of her mother's panic. Longing to assist Eddie with diffusing the situation, Rachel made her way towards the breakfast bar where Eddie sat, and perched on a seat next to him.

"I get how nerve wracking this must be for you. God knows, I'm worried too, after everything he's said."

Her voice hitched slightly when pondering Graeme's exact words, and Eddie sensed this, bringing his hand to rest on her knee comfortingly. Rachel turned to smile at him briefly before readjusting her attention upon Susan, hoping that her words had provoked some sort of positive reaction.

"This really is the only option isn't it?" Susan glanced up at her daughter and Eddie, eyes full of uncertainty and worry.

"I think so mum. I just… I can't see another way which will be... beneficial to us all."

The elder woman nodded, still very much unsure of herself but accepting the voice in her head which was telling her that Rachel and Eddie were in fact, correct.

"Right," Susan stated shakily, affirming her prior nod, "and Rachel, you're coming with me?" she waited for an answer before continuing, "and everything's going to be alright, isn't it?"

Now Rachel stood to maneuver herself round to where Susan stood. Upon reaching her, Rachel placed a hand on each of her mother's shoulders.

"Yes, it is. So you go and put your shoes and coat on, and I'll be right behind you."

A final nod was given by Susan before she turned with a brief smile.

Hearing the kitchen door lock into place, Rachel span round and walked slowly back on herself towards Eddie.

"I think you need to listen to yourself too," he began upon seeing an anxious expression similar to that of Susan's, "it is going to be alright Rach."

She nodded, allowing Eddie's arms to envelope her slightly.

"Think I'm better off listening to you at this point. You normally make the most sense."

Eddie chuckled slightly, hoping to alleviate the tense atmosphere to some extent. And he gathered that it worked, from the way Rachel attempted a crooked smile. It was brief but very much genuine, and Eddie felt glad upon thinking that he was an influence on that.

"Come on then," Rachel announced, wrapping an arm around Eddie's so that they were linking arms, "I'd better go and get this over with."

….

"Hi," Susan said warily upon reaching the front desk of Rochdale police station. Just before she began to speak once more, she felt the comforting hand of Rachel resting on her back. The gesture alleviated any thoughts that Susan was currently having about backing out. She wasn't alone here, and had to remember that, "I'm Susan Fenshaw, a few weeks ago, I reported an assault… and well, at the time, I didn't reveal the perpetrator. I just… now, I think I'm ready to talk to someone about it."

"Thank you for coming in Mrs Fenshaw, if you could just take a seat over there, and I'll get one of our officers to take you to an interview room."

Susan smiled her thanks before she was led gently over to a seating area by Rachel. Once sat down, Rachel was glad that after only a few moments, an officer emerged from a nearby room. She worried that if it had been left any longer, her mother would have followed through on her undoubtable contemplations and ran straight out of the door.

"Mrs Fenshaw, Miss Mason, if you'd like to follow me."

As the two family members stood, Rachel decided to take hold of her mother's hand. All along, Rachel had put across the message that she would be there for Susan throughout this process, and she intended to follow through with that promise now.

Upon entering an interview room, Rachel was glad to see that the officer who had originally dealt with the assault was sat at the table. The young woman had been marvellous previously, so Rachel hoped that Susan would take some comfort from her presence.

After adjusting the recorder and stating their names, time and date, the male officer began to speak.

"So, my understanding is that you are willing to tell us who carried out the assault on you, on the 2nd of November."

Suddenly more unsure of herself than ever before, Susan glanced across at Rachel, who gave her a firm but encouraging nod. It was all the reassurance she needed to continue.

"It was my husband. Graeme Fenshaw."

….

After their revelation to the police, Susan and Rachel had been reassured by both officers that they had enough evidence to arrest Graeme. It seemed that although the threats were their word against his, when they were couple with everything else, it proved enough to almost ensure that Graeme would be sent down. They had also mentioned their finding of unknown fingerprints on a belt used to hit Susan, and hoped that upon bringing Graeme in, those would be matched to his own.

Back at Rachel's house which had been built up into a home for them all in recent weeks, the adults including Philip were enjoying an Indian takeaway. Something which was well needed after recent events. As Rachel placed her plate down on a nearby cabinet, and leant against Eddie, she was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of the home telephone.

Sighing slightly upon standing, Rachel made a move for the phone, and put it against her ear to answer.

"Hello."

"Hi there, is that Susan Fenshaw speaking?"

Rachel instantly recognised the voice to be that of the female police officer from that evening. She hoped with all her heart that it was good news.

"No, it's Rachel Mason, but she's here with me now. I'll just grab her for you."

Passing the phone over to Susan, Rachel momentarily took a seat next to her mother, hoping to catch glimpses of the conversation.

"Hi, Susan Fenshaw speaking."

"_Hi there Mrs Fenshaw, it's PC Roberts speaking. I just wanted to inform you that we managed to locate Graeme, and arrest him."_

"Oh right… erm," Susan succumbed to a slight smile and Rachel couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness upon hearing the officer's words, "thank you for letting us know."

"_We are still waiting for the DNA results from the fingerprints to come through, and we will inform you of that as soon as possible, along with any further developments."_

"Okay, thanks again."

With goodbyes spoken, Susan turned to the eyes of Rachel, Philip and Eddie. All three seemed to radiate with relief once they became witness to Susan's true expressions.

"They've arrested him, and they're awaiting DNA results," Susan managed to put her words across through the abundance of emotions which seemed to cascade over her. And as Rachel, Philip and Eddie came over to her with open arms, she found herself pondering on just how much her life had changed in recent weeks. Susan had never been privy to such substantial support, and it was something which warmed her heart massively.

"Thank you… all of you. For this support."

….

Deciding that an early night was well and truly on the cards, Rachel and Eddie ascended the stairs to join Isabelle, who was currently sleeping in her moses basket in the spare bedroom.

"What did I say?" Eddie said with a smile as they reached the top of the stairs, "told you everything would work out just fine."

"Hmm and I did say i should listen to you more often," Rachel responded as she found herself returning Eddie's somewhat infectious grin.

As Rachel's gaze left him for a split second, Eddie found himself completely understanding her current expression. She wasn't concerned or worried by anything, but something seemed to be playing on her mind.

"What're you thinking?" he queried lightly.

Once more aligning their eyes, Rachel allowed the curiousness to etch into her features, "do you think Philip and my mum are up to something?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well… I don't know really. It just feels like they're perhaps… planning something."

Eddie looked thoughtful for a moment, "now you mention it, I suppose they have been slightly secretive."

Rachel shrugged, turning towards the bedroom door slightly, "I guess we will soon find out what's going on, if anything is."

Eddie hummed his agreement before following Rachel through the door. As the pair got settled into bed, they gleaned some joy from the fact that they were wrapped in one another's warmth and embrace for the third night in a row. Drifting off to sleep, Rachel and Eddie were left unawares to Philip and Susan's plans, who were currently booking a restaurant for the couple the following evening. Time was the only thing which would tell.


	26. Chapter 26

_Hi everyone, i just wanted to thank you all for the endless support with this story. It means a lot. I can't believe i have reached the final chapter, but it is quite a long one, so please enjoy :) _

_I am currently working on another fic, but I'm hoping to get most of it written before i start posting it. So just keep your eyes peeled x _

As Rachel arrived home from work the following day, her curiosity seemed to heighten regarding what her mother and Philip were up to. It was only when she sat down in the living room with them both and Eddie that she decided to question them about it.

"You two are definitely up to something."

Rachel and Eddie watched as Philip and Susan shared a glance. This definitely confirmed it. But what was it that they were being so secretive about?

"Oh you are!" Eddie said, raising his voice slightly but not overly, in hopes of not startling Isabelle who was currently perched on his knee, "could it be that Rach was right for once?"

Once his words had registered, Rachel's mouth gaped open slightly and she giggled, presenting Eddie with a swipe across the arm.

"So go on then," Rachel began, regaining her composure after becoming close to a laughing fit with Eddie, "mum? Philip? What's going on?"

Another glance was shared before Phil cleared his throat slightly, presumably prompting his grandmother to speak.

"You are both going out for a meal tonight," Susan said, standing as she spoke, "at that bar slash restaurant just out of town."

It was now Rachel and Eddie's turn to look at one another. Both adults wore a similar expression of slight happiness and gratitude. For Eddie, as they repositioned their eyes back to Susan, he allowed himself to get excited at the prospect of taking Rachel out to dinner. It would be the first time since July's events, and a perfect opportunity to affirm everything they already knew about one another's feelings.

Rachel, ever the worrier, was considering the few problems with dining out, but still allowed herself to feel a buzz of anticipation in her stomach. Opening her mouth to speak, Susan preempted Rachel's question and beat her to it.

"And before you ask, Philip and I are going to look after Isabelle. That includes overnight too."

Confirming this, Susan approached Eddie to take Isabelle into her arms.

"Off you go to get ready, your table awaits at 7:30."

Glancing at each other once more, Eddie and Rachel shared a slight smile before standing. Suddenly, they were both feeling slightly overwhelmed with the possibilities and outcomes that the evening ahead could bring.

"Mum are you sure…"

"Rachel, shush. It's already booked, along with a taxi. And Philip and I are happy to have Isabelle. Aren't we Phil?" Susan questioned, turning round to face her grandson who remained on the sofa, watching Rachel and Eddie's reactions unfold with a slight smile on his face. They truly did deserve to be happy with one another.

"Well thank you both," Rachel commented, backing down alot sooner than Philip and Susan had anticipated.

As the pair left to prepare for their evening ahead, Susan turned to Philip and raised her hand to bring his own into a high five.

"Nice work," Philip said as the two family members grinned at one another.

….

An hour or so later, Eddie was hovering in the hallway at the base of the steps. He was currently attempting to fix his tie that he had decided to wear. He always seemed to make an effort for Rachel.

Only when he heard footsteps on the stairs did Eddie glace up from the accessory. And he was certainly glad he did. Rachel looked absolutely beautiful. She well and truly took his breath away, and Eddie couldn't help the way his eyes graced her appearance from head to toe. Rachel had chosen an exquisite silk green dress, which had a sort of belt which wrapped around her waist. Of course accentuating those curves he loved so much. Her feet were encased in silver heels, which made her smooth legs look all the more fascinating to Eddie. As Rachel reached his level, Eddie aligned his eyes with her own, allowing himself to become lost in those sensational hazel orbs.

"Hey," Rachel's tone was soft and full of warmth. And hearing her voice might have just been Eddie's undoing at that moment.

Forcing himself to take a breath before respoding, Eddie chose to portray just how appreciative he was of her chosen outfit for that evening, and her beauty which seemed to accelerate with every day that passed.

"Rach… you look stunning."

When the words left his lips, Eddie realised that there were probably several other words to compliment Rachel's features. And yet, with the way he was currently enraptured, stunning was one of the few words which sprung to mind.

"Thank you," she beamed, sincerity colouring her tone, "you don't scrub up too bad yourself. Although, I have to say, I think you could do with some help with that tie."

Eddie glanced down, and sure enough, Rachel was right. Even though he had spent an insurmountable stretch of time attempting to get it perfect, the accessory remained rather off piste around his neck.

He allowed himself to chuckle as he met Rachel's gaze once more, "ties have never been my strong point."

Taking a step forward, Rachel took the tie into her own hands. The way her fingers brushed across his shirt had Eddie's vision clouded. But that wasn't the only thought on his mind. For the both of them, they were taken back to the day at Waterloo Road, when Eddie had worn a tie and Rachel had fixed it for him. For Rachel in particular, she had to blink back a few tears upon pondering the subject. It wasn't all that long ago when she was considering how unlikely it was that she would ever put her arms around Eddie's neck like this again, and fix a tie for him. Performing the gesture now, it seemed so significant, and so symbolic. Weeks ago, Rachel's future was one without Eddie, and without fixing his ties. Yet now, here he was, in her arms and for her to hold.

Straightening the tie up, Rachel pulled back and smiled at her handiwork before sensing Eddie's eyes on her and looking up. The man himself leant forward slightly, to brush a light kiss to the side of her cheek. Feeling his warm breath caress her cheek and his soft lips against her skin, Rachel was hard pressed not to let out a slight gasp. Reacting to his touch, she placed a hand on the side of his neck, and Eddie pulled away slightly. It was as if he realised just how long his mouth had lingered on her skin.

Both of their cheeks had turned a light shade of pink at the contact, and even more so as they realised that they seemed to be falling in love with each other just that little bit more.

"You know the place Philip and Susan have booked?" Eddie queried, awaiting a nod from Rachel before continuing, "isn't it…"

"Where we had our first date?" she interjected, having foreseen where Eddie's question was going. It was something that Rachel had been sure of herself.

"Yes."

"Yes… it is."

Seemingly when Rachel spoke, and she emanated that thousand watt smile which Eddie had loved so much, he was reacquainted with her hand which still remained firmly pressed against the side of his neck. He had to fight the urge to lean forwards and place a kiss to her lip gloss covered lips, not just because he knew it was something he himself longed for, but also because he knew that Rachel was currently yearning for it too. Common sense prevailed though, and Eddie realised that they would instantly become lost in one another if he was to perform that action, making them late for both the taxi and the restaurant booking.

"Shall we get going then Lawson, I think I just heard a car pull up, might be the taxi," Rachel read his mind, slowly bringing her hand down from Eddie's neck to squeeze his own hand. A gesture which said this particular moment was something they would revisit later.

….

Having taken their seats at the restaurant, it felt amazing for Rachel and Eddie to be in one another's company like this once more. Glancing around the room, Eddie realised that the table they had been brought to was the same place they had sat on their first date. This coincidence was something that sent a shiver down his spine. That and the way the candlelight was flickering across Rachel's already glowing features.

Rachel herself was attempting to discreetly admire the smouldering form of Eddie's appearance as he glanced across the table at her. Although she quickly recognised that her stare was far from subtle. Rachel didn't find herself caring all that much as Eddie stretched out his hand to take her own. All that mattered this evening was their love for one another, and what the future would hold for them both. Admittedly, both parties still had rather difficult events to come to terms with. Somehow though, when in the company of one another, almost all pain and negative feelings seemed to evaporate.

"Do you think they knew..." Eddie questioned lightly as he stroked his thumb across the back of Rachel's hand, "that this is where we had our first date?"

She smiled and briefly took her eyes away from him for the first time since taking a seat at the table, "possibly. I imagine that Philip would have remembered us talking about it."

"I'm so glad you and I found eachother again Rach. The idea of living the rest of my life without you didn't come across as a pleasant one."

"Me too Eddie. I just remember replaying our final conversation in my mind over and over, thinking about how we could've made things work."

Eddie nodded, having pondered on similar thoughts himself, "it made it worse when that was the first time we admitted that we love each other."

"I think that was the worst part for me. As soon as I walked away from you, I was fighting the urge to turn around and run into your arms. Just so I could say those words again if nothing else."

Eddie squeezed her hand slightly, sensing her inner upset upon considering the day they parted, "well we don't need to worry about that now. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for us to say those words."

This had the desired effect, with Rachel's whole face instantly breaking out into a joyous expression.

"I do love you Eddie."

"And I love you too."

Their chosen drinks arrived, and the couple found themselves slipping into any topic of conversation which took their fancy. They spoke of how quickly Isabelle seemed to have grown in a matter of weeks, and of Michael, and how Eddie was planning to see him the following weekend. He said that his son had been asking about Rachel, wondering where she had gotten to. The little boy had grown extremely fond of Rachel ever since she had reunited him with his father. So just like that, plans were made for Rachel to come along with Isabelle to go out for the day with Michael. Something which both adults found themselves looking ahead to.

They then moved on to their future together, and spoke fondly about the rest of their lives knowing that the time would be shared with each other. Not for the first time, Rachel considered how Eddie was the only person who she had truly let her guard down for. He seemed to be the shining star in her sky, someone she could undoubtedly always rely on. She realised that it was an honour to love a man who was so fantastic and genuine. He makes her feel alive in a way that no one else ever could, and the breathtaking way he constantly looks at her is something she can't describe.

They ate their meals whilst constantly stealing glances at one another. Simply cherishing the way they could admire each other so effortlessly. Eddie too considered how alive Rachel makes him feel, the way he feels for her is unlike anything he has ever felt before. Nothing and no one could ever compare to Rachel. She was utterly his everything. And from that moment on, he made a promise to himself to show her this everyday for the rest of their lives together.

Having shared desert and ordered more drinks, the pair decided to emerge from the restaurant and call for a taxi. As soon as they were outside on the street, Eddie brought Rachel into an embrace and met her lips with his own. Something which had been at the back of both of their minds all evening. Neither Eddie nor Rachel wanted the night to end there. Their night of precious and treasured time spent together.

Presuming that Rachel was having a similar thought process to himself, Eddie made a suggestion upon pulling away slightly.

"How about you come and stay at mine tonight?"

"I feel like a teenager again with my mum at home," Rachel grinned, thinking back upon the few times her childhood house felt like a home, "might have to ask for permission," she laughed, following through with her humorous tone.

Eddie also chuckled, tilting his head back slightly before meeting his eyes with Rachel's, "you heard Susan earlier, she said that her and Philip are looking after Isabelle overnight too. Might as well make the most of it," it was Eddie's turn to grin now, a mischievous glint evident in his eyes.

"Sounds like a plan Lawson."

Just as Eddie was about to kiss Rachel once more, their taxi pulled up. The timing could've been better, although Eddie found that he didn't mind the interruption of an opportunity to kiss Rachel, not with the way she took hold of his hand and led him over to the car.

….

When they opened the door to Eddie's house, they found themselves stepping over a rather large mound of letters. It just showed and represented how much time Eddie had been spending at Rachel's recently. So much so that the post had piled up to this extent.

Both adults giggled before Eddie found himself kissing Rachel once more. The way she was responding to him certainly made up for the earlier moment of bad timing. Even so, Eddie didn't want to push her too far. He wanted to make sure that she was entirely comfortable with where they were heading once again.

Perhaps sensing Eddie's slight hesitation, Rachel angled herself towards the staircase and pulled on his shirt slightly. She wanted to reassure Eddie that her thoughts were very much prominent in the same direction as his.

The way Eddie still pulled away slightly to glance at her expression as they reached the bottom of the steps, emphasised everything that Rachel already knew. Eddie Lawson was the most perfect man.

"Are you sure this is what you want? And that you're ready?" he asked, slightly breathless from the frequency with which they had been kissing.

"Eddie, I love you, and I want to be with you again. So yes, I am ready, and very much sure about this."

A smile graced Eddie's lips at her heartfelt words before he ducked down to place butterfly kisses across her jawline and towards her neck.

For Rachel, as she tipped her head back to grant him better access, she realised that she had reached the happiest that she had been in a long time. Prior to reuniting with Eddie, nothing had been easy. Getting over her love for him wasn't even an option, it had been emotionally impossible. Far from easy. And yet now, as they made their way up the steps together; both Rachel and Eddie were reminded of the ease with which they could be with one another. These precious moments now were in stark contrast from those spent apart. And for the rest of their lives, everything would be done together, and not apart. Evidently making all barriers more straightforward to overcome. Stood side by side with one another, perhaps things could be that little bit easier.


End file.
